The other Perón woman that history forgot

We all know the story of Eva (Evita) Perón, perhaps the most influential woman in modern Argentina. They made a Broadway play and movie about her! By the way, the movie did not misrepresent her beauty and class. She made a point to be super elegant because Evita knew that Latin women like their First Ladies to look that way. Sexist? No at all. I know my culture.

A few years ago, President Trump visited Argentina and then President Mauricio Macri. The Argentina media went crazy with Melania's look. In the end, Melania Trump and the other First Lady, Juliana Macri, stole the show with their fashions. It was a duel of First Ladies that Latin women could not get enough of!

We remember Isabel Perón, who became president of Argentina in June 1974 and overthrown in March 1976. 

The common denominator with the women was Juan Perón, husband and president. Isabel Perón was VP and assumed the presidency when President Perón died. Isabel was 36 years younger than Juan Perón. There was also a big age difference between Evita and Juan Perón.

Mrs. Perón's presidency was very difficult.  She was not able to form coalitions and the country's economy went from bad to worse. Frankly, I am not sure that any other person could have done any better. Argentina's economic problems came home to roost in the mid-1970s and threw the country into years of turmoil.  Her husband left her a mess and she had no chance to survive it.

Perón was overthrown in March 1976 and eventually moved to Madrid. She turned 92 a few months ago and has stayed out of public view.  I can't remember the last time that Isabel was in the news.

Who was the first female president of Argentina?  The answer is Isabel, not Eva, Perón. Of course, no one made a play about Isabel and that may explain that history has largely forgotten her.

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Happy #60 “Blame it on the bossa nova"

Another one of those "time flies" posts:  Let's remember "Blame it on the bossa nova" by Eydie Gorme.  

Frankly, I don't remember this song but it was an entertaining and still gets a lot of airplay many years later.  It is a great dancing song!  I would file this one under "novelty pop songs"!

Eydie Gorme enjoyed a great career.  She recorded many songs with her husband Steve Lawrence.

Click here for the song.

"I was at a dance When he caught my eye
Standing all alone Lookin' sad and shy
We began to dance Swaying to and fro
And soon I knew I'd never let him go
Blame it on the bossa nova With it's magic spell
Blame it on the bossa nova That he did so well
Oh it all began with just one little dance
But soon it ended up a big romance
Blame it on the bossa nova The dance of love
Now was it the moon No no the bossa nova
Or the stars above No no the bossa nova
Now was it the tune Yea yea the bossa nova
The dance of love
Now I'm glad to say I'm his bride to be
And we're gonna raise a family
And when our kids ask How it came about
I gonna say to them with out a doubt....

Happy # 79 to Ron Swoboda

Ron Swoboda was born in Baltimore on this day in 1944.  He broke in with the Mets in 1965 and hit 18 HR as a rookie.   

Unfortunately for Mets' fans, Swoboda never really developed into a consistent power hitter:  .242 batting average, 73 HR & 344 RBI over 8 years.

Nevertheless, he will live in the hearts of Mets fans for one catch in the 1969 World Series.     It killed an Oriole rally and lives as one of the greatest catches in baseball history.

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Thursday's podcast: Our chat with George Rodriguez about affirmative action & Texas issues

Thursday's podcast:   

Our chat with George Rodriguez about affirmative action & Texas issues

......click to listen:

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Thursday's video: Our chat with George Rodriguez about affirmative action & Texas issues

Thursday's video: 

Our chat with George Rodriguez about affirmative action & Texas issues

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.

 

The moderate and his admiral

 (My new American Thinker post)

During the campaign, we were reminded often that former VP Biden was the moderate in the party roster.  He wasn't Bernie the socialist who went to the USSR for his honeymoon. Or Beto with the RFK look who wants to take your AR-15 away.  For sure, not Elizabeth with the Native American past. He was Joe from Scranton, Joey as his father used to call him.

Well, that was then or before he added the admiral to his staff.  Let's meet Admiral Rachel Levine:

Admiral Rachel Levine, the Assistant Secretary for Health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has declared, as Pride month is coming to an end, that it should be a “Summer of Pride.”

“Happy Pride! Happy Pride Month, and actually -- let’s declare it a summer of Pride. Happy Summer of Pride.”

Let me remind you that Rachel is actually a man, and not really an admiral.  Who cares about gender and title anyway?  Who cares what Americans think about all this?  

According to Rasmussen Reports, most Americans are not ready for Rachel's Summer of Pride: "71% of American Adults agree with the statement that “there are two genders, male and female,” including 57% who Strongly Agree."

It does not sound like the Moderate and his Admiral are promoting a very moderate position.  What these numbers are telling me is that Americans are tolerant of sexual orientation as long as you stay away from our school-age children or push it in our face every time we turn on the TV.

We were misled about all the moderate stuff. I guess nobody in the media was serious about asking him about it when he was hiding in the basement.

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

Thursday's podcast: Leaks and the Trump case, Biden and the transgender agenda & Happy # 20 Babalu

Leaks and the Trump case.......Biden and the transgender agenda.....Happy # 20 Babalu Blog...and other stories....click to listen:

Wednesday's video: Leaks and the Trump case, Biden and the transgender agenda & Happy # 20 to Babalu Blog

Wednesday's video: 

 Leaks and the Trump case, Biden and the transgender agenda & Happy # 20 to Babalu Blog

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81% of Mexico is a lot of territory

 (My new American Thinker post)

How much of Mexico is under the control of criminal elements?  I guess that it depends who is answering the question.  To my knowledge, President Andres Lopez-Obrador has not acknowledged that any part of Mexico is run by cartels.  He plays games with crime statistics and blames everyone but his administration for the breakdown in law and order.  

So who is telling the truth?  Well, this is a report from Pulse News Mexico:

A study released this week by the political analysis firm AC Consultores showed that organized crime groups in Mexico are now exerting their influence over at least 1.59 million square kilometers of national territory, representing 81 percent of the country, leaving 108 million Mexicans at risk of violence.

The AC Consultores study was based on six months of meticulous review of official government data and documents hacked from Mexico’s Defense Secretariat by the Guacamaya group, which last September released a collection of over 4 million confidential government documents that were obtained by international hackers. The criminal organizations with the greatest presence in Mexico are the Jalisco New Generation Cartel and the Sinaloa Cartel, the study said.

Mexican criminal groups, the study said, exert their influence and terrorize citizens through executions, massacres, drug banners, extortion, kidnappings, threatening videos and even the murders of police officers, politicians and officials.

Over the last four years, such events have been reported in 1,488 of Mexico’s 2,471 municipalities.  According to the study, the bloody Jalisco New Generation Cartel has the greatest presence in Mexico, operating across 28 out of the country’s 32 states. The Sinaloa Cartel comes in second place with operations in 24 states.

The presence of the Gulf Cartel has been detected in 10 states, the Northeast Cartel in eight states, the Familia Michoacana in seven and Los Zetas in six.

Additionally, the Templars have operation in five states and Los Chapitos in four.

Small criminal organizations such as the Beltrán Leyva, the Caborca Cartel, Los Talibanes, Los Rojos, Los Salazar and Los Viagras each operate in three states.

How accurate is this report?  I think that it's pretty true as anyone paying attention can tell.  For example, I heard on the radio yesterday that auto thefts in Texas are up.  Why?  Apparently, cartel "representatives" come into Texas and look for cars, especially vans.  They love those.  It must be the air-conditioning unit.  They steal them and cross the border.

Then you have the violence in Mexico.  Lots of it!  Just ask anyone who lives down there.  I heard from a lady that travelling at night on Mexican roads is just an invitation to get your car stolen.  Another man told me a few years ago that he'll never take his truck to Mexico anymore.  Who are these people?  They are Mexicans living here who are afraid to visit their country by car.  They take the bus instead.

How much of Mexico is under criminal control?  No one knows for sure because these elements usually don't register their address with the local post office.  

What can the U.S. government do?  A lot more than we are doing.  Also, I hope that some Mexican candidate for president in 2024 has the courage to point out that Mexican sovereignty is at risk if bad guys with high-powered weapons are running the highways.

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

A word about June 28

On this day in 1914, Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria and his wife Sophie were shot to death by a Bosnian Serb nationalist during an official visit to the Bosnian capital of Sarajevo.

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Happy # 82 to Al Downing (the man who gave up Aaron's # 715)

We remember Al Downing today.     He was born in New Jersey on this day in 1941.

Downing was a pretty good lefty who broke with the Yankees in 1961 at age 20.    He  joined the starting rotation in 1963 and won 26 games in his first two seasons.   Downing pitched in the 1963 and 1964 World Series but did not win a game. 

In the late 1960s, Downing pitched for New York, Oakland and Milwaukee.   He was 2-10 with the 1970 Brewers despite a decent 3.34 ERA.

In 1971, Downing was traded to LA and won 20 games.  He pitched in the 1974 World Series with the Dodgers.  Overall, he won 123 games with a 3.22 ERA.

We remember Downing for one pitch or home run:  Aaron's # 715 on April 8, 1974.

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---

Tuesday's podcast: DeSantis and crime in Mexico......Mayor Adams and migrants.....& more

 

DeSantis and crime in Mexico......Mayor Adams and migrants.....Intelligence failures on January 6..Happy # 80 Rico Petrocelli.....and other stories.......

click to listen:

Tuesday's video: DeSantis and crime in Mexico......Mayor Adams and migrants.....& more

DeSantis and crime in Mexico......Mayor Adams and migrants.....Intelligence failures on January 6..Happy # 80 Rico Petrocelli........and other stories...

 

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.

Don’t listen to the teachers union if you care about your kids

 

(My new American Thinker post)

Back in the thick of the pandemic, I remember watching a TV report about two mothers who lived on the same street in Chicago.  Mom A sent her kids to the Catholic school.  Mom B was dealing with school closures. Mom A was happy and Mom B was not.

Moving forward, Mom A and Mom B are probably reacting differently to the state of their kids' scores.  This is the story: 

Eight percent. That’s the absurdly tiny fraction of America’s public-school teacher workforce aged 60-or-older who faced non-trivial mortality risk from COVID-19 before vaccines were available. 

Eight percent also happens to be the share of Black 13-year-olds who -- according to recently released federal data -- performed at the top level in mathematics on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). And while traditional public schools have failed to deliver for disadvantaged students of color for far too long, these alarming numbers represent a significant drop in their performance since before the pandemic. Is it any surprise? Politicians in America’s bluest urban communities -- where most disadvantaged students live -- closed their schools for a full academic year to "protect" fewer than 1 in 10 of their employees, usually at the behest of powerful union leaders.       

According to the latest NAEP data, current learning losses continue to extend far and wide. On average, public-school students lost historic ground in math (10 points) and reading (6 points) since before the pandemic. Research just published in one of nation’s oldest and most-respected economics journals echo the take home here: the more time students spent outside the classroom, the less they learned.

Yes, a national nightmare as someone said.  Bad news for these students and their parents.

So what happened to those kids who kept going to school, such as the ones in Catholic schools?  Here is that part of the story:   

America’s Catholic schools defied these sobering trends. Students attending parochial schools experienced no meaningful decline in either subject on the latest NAEP. 

Although over twice as many private school educators (17%) were in the COVID-vulnerable 60-or-older category, Catholic schools stayed open for their students. 

Let me get to the point. I'm not trying to get you to send your kids to a Catholic school.  That's your decision as a parent.  It's clear that those schools that listened to the teachers' unions had horrible results.  On the other hand, the private and religious schools that stayed open do not have those test scores.

Of course, the collapse of public education goes beyond COVID.  The problems are a lack of discipline, too many kids entitled with "rights," and administrators invested in "woke" rather than basic stuff, like reading, writing; and math.

Unfortunately, too many of these parents live in areas where school choice is not option.  Their kids are stuck in these schools and the country suffers when kids can't read or write at a certain level. 

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Happy # 80 Rico Petrocelli

Happy birthday greetings to Rico Petrocelli, one of the most popular players to wear the Red Sox uniform.  

Americo Peter Petrocelli was born in Brooklyn on this day in 1943.  He broke with Boston in 1963.  He quickly became a regular and played in the 1967 & 1975 World Series.   

He split his career between shortstop (774 games) and third base (727 games).   Rico moved to third when Luis Aparicio joined Boston in 1970.

Petrocelli was a big bat in the Boston lineup:  210 HR & 773 RBI over 13 years.

He hit 40 HR in 1969 and 97 HR over a 3 year span, 1969-71.

Enjoy your day Rico!

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A word about June 27

We remember June 27

Happy # 78 to Rico Petrocelli, one of the most popular players to wear the Red Sox uniform.   Americo Peter Petrocelli was born in Brooklyn on this day in 1943.  He broke with Boston in 1963.  He quickly became a regular and played in the 1967 & 1975 World Series.    Petrocelli was a big bat in the Boston lineup:  210 HR & 773 RBI over 13 years.

1973:  David Clyde made his pitching debut with the Texas Rangers.  He was 18, two weeks out of high school and never materialized as a major league pitcher.  He was probably rushed to the majors.

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Friday's podcast: Mayor Adams and migrants.....Catholic schools and test scores....and more

Mayor Adams and migrants.....Catholic schools and test scores....The Hunter Biden scandal......Happy # 49 Derek Jeter...........

and other stories....click to listen:

Monday's video: Mayor Adams and migrants.....Catholic schools and test scores....and more

Mayor Adams and migrants.....Catholic schools and test scores....The Hunter Biden scandal......Happy # 49 Derek Jeter...........and other stories....

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.

 

Mayor Adams: I've got my Magic Bus

 (My new American Thinker post)

Yes, that sound you hear is Mayor Eric Adams singing his version of "Magic Bus."  You know that song by the Who that goes like this:  "Every day I get in the queue (Too much, Magic Bus) To get on the bus that takes me to you (Too much, Magic Bus)"

Well, it turns out that Governor Greg Abbott's critic has been doing a little "transporting of migrants" himself.  This is the story:    

New York City Mayor Eric Adams used taxpayer funds to send migrants to red states including Texas and Florida with some even being sent as far as South America and China despite trashing Republican governors for sending them to the Big Apple.

Adams, a Democrat, spent about $50,000 of the city's money to send 114 migrant households elsewhere in the world as the city is overrun with asylum seekers in the tens of thousands. 

A total of 28 families were sent to Florida with 14 being sent to Texas, a few were sent to Colombia and one family to China. The migrants were allowed to choose where they were sent, reports Politico. 

The Adams bus has a route to Colombia and China? Why not?  Mayor Adams is a generous man when he is spending someone else's money.  He will tell the driver to take you wherever you want to go.

According to the story, New York City reports that 78,700 migrants have arrived and 48,700 are still under the city's support system. Why are they still under your support system?  Have you offered them work?  Or an opportunity to pay back the city's taxpayers?

The mayor has criticized everybody but Biden and his open border policy.  He is calling for Congress to carry out immigration reform but that's a lot of wishful thinking. The mayor needs to be more honest and address the actual problem.

So that bus that you see somewhere around the country is the mayor sending migrants to other places.  He wants them out of New York but keeps boasting about the sanctuary city that he runs.

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

Happy # 49 Derek Jeter

We say happy birthday to Derek Jeter who was born on this day in 1974.

In 1996, Derek Jeter broke in with the Yankees and the rest is history.  Jeter retired with 3,465 hits, a .311 lifetime average and .321 in 38 World Series games.

In 2014, the baseball world said goodbye to Jeter at The All Star Game in Minneapolis. He got everything that he deserved. I was applauding him too because the world could use more men like Jeter.

The Yankees came to Texas later that summer in August and huge crowds were there to show their respect for Jeter again.

He was really something special, the kind of professional athlete who comes around once in a generation.

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A word about June 26

We remember June 26:   

Happy # 48: Derek Jeter:   He retired with 3,465 hits, a .311 lifetime average and .321 in 38 World Series games.

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.

China in Cuba and other stories with Pedro Luis Boitel

 

Guest:  Pedro Luis Boitel, author and political blogger......and other stories....

....click to listen:

Sunday's video: China in Cuba and other stories with Pedro Luis Boitel

Sunday's video: 

China in Cuba and other stories with Pedro Luis Boitel......

                                

You gotta love the story of the candy bomber

The battle between communism and freedom has many chapters, from people jumping The Berlin Wall to Mariel, Cuba in 1980.  I saw the ugly face of communism as a boy, when my father's cousin was thrown in jail for publicly denouncing Castro.  He was arrested in 1961 and released in 1975.  Never had a trial, and forget about anybody reading him his Miranda rights.  They don't do that in communist countries.

We remember a great moment from the 20th century, or the day that U.S. and U.K. planes began dropping supplies to the people of West Berlin isolated by the USSR blockade.  The Soviets were trying to break the back of the residents of West Berlin.  Instead, they met a resolute President Truman, who would not allow the Soviets to get away with it.

Eventually, the planes started to drop more than food and heating oil.  At some point, the pilots saw kids and returned with something for them.  Those men came to be known as "the candy bombers."  They dropped candy for the children in their supply bags

One of the pilots was Colonel Gail S. Halvorsen (1920–2021).  This is his story:

After the United States entered World War II following the attack on Pearl Harbor, Halvorsen trained as a fighter pilot and served as a transport pilot in the south Atlantic during World War II before flying food and other supplies to West Berlin as part of the airlift. According to his account on the foundation's website, Halvorsen had mixed feelings about the mission to help the United States' former enemy after losing friends during the war. But his attitude changed, and his new mission was launched, after meeting a group of children behind a fence at Templehof airport.

He offered them the two pieces of gum that he had, broken in half, and was touched to see those who got the gum sharing pieces of the wrapper with the other children, who smelled the paper. He promised to drop enough for all of them the following day as he flew, wiggling the wings of his plane as he flew over the airport, Halvorsen recalled.

He started doing so regularly, using his own candy ration, with handkerchiefs as parachutes to carry them to the ground. Soon other pilots and crews joined in what would be dubbed "Operation Little Vittles."  After an Associated Press story appeared under the headline "Lollipop Bomber Flies Over Berlin," a wave of candy and handkerchief donations, followed.

The airlift began on June 26, 1948, in an ambitious plan to feed and supply West Berlin after the Soviets — one of the four occupying powers of a divided Berlin after World War II — blockaded the city in an attempt to squeeze the U.S., Britain and France out of the enclave within Soviet-occupied eastern Germany.

Allied pilots flew 278,000 flights to Berlin, carrying about 2.3 million tons of food, coal, medicine and other supplies.   Finally, on May 12, 1949, the Soviets realized the blockade was futile and lifted their barricades. The airlift continued for several more months, however, as a precaution in case the Soviets changed their minds.

The Berlin Airlift, and the work of the candy bombers, was a beautiful chapter of an otherwise ugly war that killed millions.  It's a nice story to share with your kids about the character of the men who fought that war.

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

A word about June 25

We remember June 25:

"Bad day for General Custer":    On this day in 1876, a major battle took place near southern Montana’s Little Bighorn River. We remember the battle as General Custer’s "Last Stand".

"We love Ike":    On this day in 1942, General Dwight D. Eisenhower became commander of all U.S. troops in the European theater of World War II.

"Beatles go global 1967":    Two weeks after “Sergeant Pepper’s” release, The Beatles went global and presented “All you need is love” to the world.  

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Happy # 78 Carly Simon

Let's add Carly Simon to the growing list of pop singers who are over 70.    Carly was born in New York on this day in 1945.

My first memory of Carly Simon was her 1971 hit "That's the way I've heard it should be", a very 1970's song.   It was also a great arrangement and her vocals were beautiful.

After that, Carly had other hits, such as "You're so vain", and married James Taylor.

We wish Carly a happy birthday.    She was one of a group of great female song writers/performers who released music in the early 1970's.    It was great music.

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.