Hunter Biden and VP Biden on the phone....Colombia and President Petro's son...The city of Oakland's crime problem....Nolan Ryan # 30.......and other stories....
click to listen:
Monday, July 31, 2023
Monday’s podcast: Hunter Biden and VP Biden on the phone........and other stories
Hunter Biden and VP Biden on the phone....Colombia and President Petro's son...The city of Oakland's crime problem....Nolan Ryan # 30.......and other stories....
Monday's video: Hunter Biden and VP Biden on the phone....Colombia and President Petro's son & more.......
Hunter Biden and VP Biden on the phone....Colombia and President Petro's son...The city of Oakland's crime problem....Nolan Ryan # 30.......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.
The other president with a son problem
(My new American Thinker post)
We've heard a lot about Hunter Biden. Let me tell you about Nicolas Petro, the son of Colombia's President Gustavo Petro. This is the story:
The son of Colombian President Gustavo Petro has been arrested for money laundering and illicit enrichment by the country's attorney general.
Nicolas Petro, a politician in Atlantico province, was detained over allegations he was paid by drug traffickers to fund his father's peace efforts and election campaign.
He has denied the claims and welcomed the inquiry when it was launched. The younger Mr Petro's ex-wife has also been arrested as part of the probe.
President Petro, the country's first left-wing leader, has denied taking money from Colombia's drug traffickers and ordered prosecutors to investigate his son in March.
Writing on social media on Saturday, he said it was painful for one of his children to be sent to prison, but also that he would not interfere with the investigation.
"To my son I wish luck and strength. May these occurrences forge his character and may he reflect about his own errors," Petro said.
President Petro's comments suggest that he thinks that his son did something wrong. Otherwise, why would he say that he should "reflect about his own errors"?
According to news reports, the controversy stems from large amounts of money allegedly paid by drug cartels to his father's presidential campaign last year. As you may remember, Mr. Petro won a contested and very close election.
As I told my Colombian friend on Sunday morning, I expect this kind of scandal in Latin America. I don't expect it in the U.S. when justice is politicized as we see with AG Merrick Garland. My friend added that this move against the younger Petro is further evidence that the Colombian president's political position has weakened a lot in recent months.
We will watch Hunter and Nicolas and see what happens next.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
Happy # 78 Gary Lewis
We say happy birthday to Gary Lewis who was born in New Jersey on this day in 1945.
His father was Jerry Lewis, one of the superstars of movies and comedy.
In 1965, Gary formed a band and enjoyed several hits, such as "This diamond ring" a # 1 song. All together, Gary Lewis and the Playboys had 7 Top 10 hits.
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Happy # 69 Ellis Valentine
Ellis Valentine was born in Arkansas on this day in 1954. He was drafted by Montreal and broke with them in 1975. By 1976, he was the every day right fielder.
In the late 1970's, the Montreal Expos had one of the best outfields in modern baseball history. In fact, you could argue that it was the best in quite some time: Ellis Valentine, future Hall of Famer Andre Dawson & Warren Cromartie.
Valentine and teammate Cromartie had 24 assists in 1977. You simply could not take an extra base on that Expos' outfield!
Valentine survived injuries and retired with a .278 batting average and .288 in 7 seasons in Montreal.
Valentine was part of the Expos who came in second in 1978, 1979 & 1980. They lost the NLCS to the LA Dodgers in 1981. In today's game, Montreal would have clinched a wild card spot everyone of those years that they came in second in the NL East. Who knows what would have happened to that "wild card team" in the NL post season?
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Sunday, July 30, 2023
Disney should release Kamala Roe and her 7 friends
(My new American Thinker post)
It's another Sunday and time to reflect on another day in the life and times of VP Kamala Harris, or the lady who said most Americans can’t afford a $400 surprise expense, but conveniently forgot that she is a part of the current administration. She then called Iowa heartbeat law an 'outright ban' but was not challenged on the exceptions, as in cases of rape or incest. The VP also forgot that this law is the result of a legislature elected by Iowans. Who cares about that, when the abortion activists keep calling on the Biden administration to codify Roe?
As Disney continues on a suicide mission of $900 million in losses, they should consider a new movie about someone named Kamala Roe who travels in the forest with her 7 friends. We will cast them as follows:
Dopey is the person who writes her speeches or keeps telling the VP to cackle while laughing;
Grumpy would be Congressman Nadler who hasn't smiled in years;
Sneezy would be Dr. Fauci who wears a mask to protect the community from the latest virus;
Bashful would be Governor Newsom who keeps hinting and hinting;
Sleepy would be President Biden.
Happy is her former staffer.
Can you think of anyone else?
VP Harris is one heartbeat from the presidency and that is why the Democrats will be do everything in their power to keep the President's heart beating.
In the meantime, Disney should consider my idea for the movie because nothing else is selling tickets.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
Happy # 82 Paul Anka, great vocalist and songwriter!
Paul is from Ottawa and enjoyed big hits by the time that he was a teenager.
Anka is one of the few pop artists who had Top 10 songs in the 1950s, 1960's & 1970's! Who else but Elvis can say that?
Anka's formula? Romantic and catchy songs that filled Top 40 play lists in the era of AM radio stations. I'm sure that lots of our parents have Anka 45's among their belongings and souvenirs.
I learned in the 1970's that Paul Anka composed "My Way" and several TV songs, such as The Tonight Song theme song! How would you like to collect those royalties?
A few years ago, Paul wrote an autobiography. He also left us an amazing collection of hit songs, available now on digital.
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.
Saturday, July 29, 2023
Now, everybody knows I am the judge
(My new American Thinker post)
To paraphrase Pigmeat Markham, everybody knows that she is the judge, yes Maryellen Noreika is the judge and order in the court.
On a more serious matter, the Hunter Biden team finally ran into someone who was asking questions about their plea agreement. And it did not go well, as Will Scharf wrote:
Hunter Biden arrived in a Delaware federal court on Wednesday morning expecting that, in a few short hours, he would walk out a free man with full immunity from prosecution for an exceedingly wide range of alleged criminal conduct, ranging from gun and drug charges to foreign influence peddling. His expectation was that his deal would be insulated from challenges from the presiding judge, or from a prosecutorial change of heart under a future administration. His expectation was that his legal ordeals were coming to a close.
Instead, U.S. District Court Judge Maryellen Noreika picked apart his plea deal with surgical precision, exposing its legal contradictions, and upbraiding both defense counsel and the Department of Justice for structuring an unprecedented deal that in her view -- and mine -- was illegal and unconstitutional.
As the old folks used to say when something didn't smell right: The judge smelled a rat and this one was pretty stinky. Judge Noreika felt that the lawyers were trying to get her to rubber-stamp. Sign here, judge, and the big man is going to be very happy with you. He may invite you to White House Christmas Party!
So here we are, and it was not part of the script as the article points out:
Hunter’s lawyers and DOJ are going to go off and try to pull together a new set of agreements, likely narrower and less novel in its arrangement to satisfy Judge Noreika and move the case. They will have to explain their conduct in a public briefing which may shed some light on the obviously tortured negotiations that led us to this place. And, fortunately, the chances of any agreement proceeding with the kind of blanket immunity the parties had in mind as they walked into court yesterday are essentially nil at this point.
You mean that Hunter may have to face reality one of these days? Let's hope so. Let's say thanks that the judge this time around was not willing to go along.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
Friday, July 28, 2023
Friday's podcast: The Biden plea agreement runs into a judge and more chaos coming
Friday's podcast:
The Biden plea agreement runs into a judge and more chaos coming.....
Friday's video: The Biden plea agreement runs into a judge.. More chaos coming and other stories...
The Biden plea agreement runs into a judge...More chaos coming with Trump & Biden.......Jackie Kennedy (1929-1994)......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.
We need something like Animal House in 2023
(My new American Thinker post)
As we struggle with a Barbie movie that does not remind me of the dolls that my sister collected, a U.S. women soccer team that can't smile, or even a new version of Snow White that claims she won't be saved by a prince's kiss this time around, it is difficult to find a good movie to see.
Please forgive us if we get nostalgic or remember some of the flicks that made us laugh, cry or just plain entertained us.
Entertain us? Do they even know that in Hollywood anymore?
Just heard that Animal House was released 45 years ago. Back then, the movie made a lot of us laugh. Honestly, I still laugh every time it comes on TV. No virtual signaling. No political message, just a bunch of college kids being stupid. Give me more movies like that.
Roger Ebert, the movie critic and the guy who used have that show on PBS along with Gene Siskel, reviewed the movie like this:
The movie is vulgar, raunchy, ribald, and occasionally scatological. It is also the funniest comedy since Mel Brooks made "The Producers" (1968). "Animal House" is funny for some of the same reasons the National Lampoon is funny (and Second City and "Saturday Night Live" are funny): Because it finds some kind of precarious balance between insanity and accuracy, between cheerfully wretched excess and an ability to reproduce the most revealing nuances of human behavior.
The star of the movie is a fellow named Bluto played by the late John Belushi. I remember one time explaining to a friend that Bluto reminded me of a combination of the cocky Chico Marx and the silent Harpo Marx. No matter what, I found this movie a charm because it made me laugh.
It is true that this is a story about rebellious kids challenging authority. At least you didn't have college professors teaching kids to hate their country or deny conservatives an opportunity to speak.
Keep your modern Barbie or Snow White and her inclusive dwarfs. I'd rather entertain myself with a crazy comedy like Animal House. What could possibly be wrong with a bunch of guys who love beer, "Shout," "Louie, Louie," motorcycles, and Playboy centerfolds?
Let me celebrate 45 years of Animal House by watching old movies and being entertained again.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
2014 podcast: "The Vikings" with Leslie Eastman & friends
Perhaps you've been watching "The Vikings" on The History Channel. It is a challenging and complex topic but the series is very entertaining. The series was written by Michael Hirst of Elizabeth & The Tudors.
Back in 2014, Leslie Eastman joined me for a discussion of "The Vkings". Barry Jacobsen discussed the history, myth, and legends based on The History Channel's new series, focused on famed raider Ragnar Lothbrok. Then, Thrand Godfrey discussed the weapons, tactics, battles and his video projects on the subject.
Leslie wrote a great post about the show and the series. Check it out!
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.
Click to listen:
Thursday, July 27, 2023
Thursday's video: White House and the border mess...Spain's election and more
White House and the border mess...Sec Mayorkas before the House....Men playing on women's team...Spain election.....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.
Thursday’s podcast: White House and the border mess...Spanish election & more
White House and the border mess...Sec Mayorkas before the House....Men playing on their women's team...Spain election.....and other stories....
click to listen:
It would have been better if they had stayed in Mexico
(My new American Thinker post)
Upon taking office, the Biden administration killed the "stay in Mexico" policy.
They claimed that their approach was more humanitarian but were never forced to explain from "the basement" what that actually meant.
Two years later, we know that it meant opening the border and handing people a court date and hope that they show up for the hearing.
Yesterday, a judge halted another of the Biden administration's ideas.
This is the story:
The Biden administration was dealt a major blow in its efforts to control the ongoing border crisis on Tuesday when a federal judge blocked a rule introduced in May that makes migrants ineligible for asylum if they have entered illegally and failed to take advantage of expanded lawful pathways set up by the federal government.Judge Jon Tigar of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California blocked the Circumvention of Lawful Pathways rule in response to a lawsuit from a coalition of left-wing immigration groups, which claimed the rule was similar to a Trump-era transit ban that was similarly blocked. He found the rule is "both substantively and procedurally invalid" and has delayed his ruling from taking effect for 14 days to give the administration time to appeal.
So the Biden administration is now at war with the immigration activists who persuaded this judge to halt another one of the administration's ideas.
This is what happens when you refuse to enforce immigration law and try to govern by making the activists happy. It raises the price of gasoline, and everything else, when you try to please the climate activists. It creates chaos on the border when you change policies that were working, such as stay in Mexico.
P.S.: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
Happy # 81 Bobbie Gentry
We say happy birthday to Roberta Lee Streeter who was born in Mississippi on this day in 1942. "It was the third of June.." sang Bobbie Gentry in "Ode to Billy Joe"....# 419 in Rolling Stone Top 500 songs....
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.
2013 podcast: Let's chat with Frank Burke about "A failure to communicate"
We spoke with Frank Burke, contributor to American Thinker, about his latest: "A failure to communicate".
Frank has this advice to conservatives:
"Both in terms of technology and content, communication has changed vastly in the past quarter century and continues to evolve. Cable television has added multiple programming choices. Radio has been augmented by satellite services. Most local newspapers have been in decline, and many traditional magazines have vanished or gone digital. Social media adds an entirely new dimension, and video games are now mainstream with more than half (52.4%) of the U.S. television population having access to a console."
Wednesday, July 26, 2023
Wednesday's video: July 26 and Cuban history..........and other stories...
Wednesday's video:
July 26 and Cuban history..........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.
My chat about Moncada 1953 with Jorge Ponce
A few years ago, we discussed Moncada 1953 with Jorge Ponce, Cuban American writer and contributor to Babalu Blog.
Jorge and I came to the US in the 1960's with our parents.
You can hear the show here.
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.
Tuesday, July 25, 2023
Tuesday's podcast: Democrats and Republicans 2024.....Feds and interest rates.....and other stories
Tuesday's podcast:
Democrats and Republicans 2024.....Feds and interest rates.....and other stories.....click to listen:
Tuesday's video: Democrats and Republicans 2024.....Feds and interest rates.....and others...
Tuesday's video:
Democrats and Republicans 2024.....Feds and interest rates.....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.
Spain and the inconclusive election
(My new American Thinker post)
Thumbs up for our system. At least the winner here gets to form a government quickly.
Over in Spain, they had an election and people wonder what the point of it was.
Who won? So far no one really knows.
This is the story:
Spain was plunged into political uncertainty Monday a day after Alberto Núñez Feijóo's conservative Popular Party narrowly won the country's national election but without securing the parliamentary majority needed to topple the five-year-old coalition government of Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez.The result means Feijóo can't claim outright victory, though he told his supporters he would try to form a government. That process is likely to take weeks or even months as Sánchez may also be able to secure support from smaller parties to form a governing coalition. A new election could also be called.
As I read in news reports, PP and Vox secured 169 seats, PSOE and Sumar 153 but nobody got the magical 176.
What a mess or, this is something like what happened in Canada, when Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was returned to power by cutting a deal with a small party.
In other words, PM Sanchez could stay in power by cutting a deal with some of the other parties. It could happen if PM Sanchez is supported by Junts, a Catalan pro-independence party.
Frankly, I'm disappointed because what we heard from friends is that the vote would be a referendum on jobs. the economy, inflation and a Spanish version of "malaise."
It probably was but not enough to form a parliamentary majority.
So check the news because the election is over but forming a government is not.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
"Pedro Pan": The story of how 14,000 Cuban children were sent to the US!
Time flies and we celebrate another anniversary of the Cuban-American experience. The picture above shows parents saying goodbye to their children and putting them in a plane headed to Miami.
We remember another anniversary this week:
"It hardly seems possible, but it’s been 50 years since Operation Pedro Pan began the airlift that eventually that brought 14,000 unaccompanied children from Cuba to this country." (Babalu Blog)
The Pedro Pan program touched every one of us in a very special way.
We salute the wonderful people who led this program.
We remember the late Father Walsh and all of the wonderful nuns who cared for the children. It was indeed a work of love!
How do you say "thank you" or "gracias" to so many people? I think that you say "thank you" by standing up for freedom and remembering the sacrifice that our parents made for us.
P.S. In a previous show, we spoke with Carlos Eire, the wonderful Cuban American author, who was one of these kids. Carlos discussed his book "Learning to die in Miami":
We salute the wonderful people who led this program.
We remember the late Father Walsh and all of the wonderful nuns who cared for the children. It was indeed a work of love!
How do you say "thank you" or "gracias" to so many people? I think that you say "thank you" by standing up for freedom and remembering the sacrifice that our parents made for us.
P.S. In a previous show, we spoke with Carlos Eire, the wonderful Cuban American author, who was one of these kids. Carlos discussed his book "Learning to die in Miami":
Monday, July 24, 2023
Monday's podcast: Texas vs DOJ.....No winner in Spain....and more
Monday's podcast:
Texas vs DOJ.....No winner in Spain....and more
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.
Monday's video: Texas vs DOJ.....No winner in Spain.....and other stories....
Monday's video:
Texas vs DOJ.....No winner in Spain.....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.
You don't have to play if you don't like the anthem
(My new American Thinker post)
Once again, we have athletes making fools of themselves.
The latest episode from the ingrates comes from the Women's World Cup soccer match.
For the record, I am not a big soccer fan but it's always nice to cheer for the home team. In my case, it's the nice country that adopted my family years ago. In the case of these young women, it's the country that gave them this opportunity.
Enter the fools and here is the story:
The US Women’s National Soccer team was victorious in its opening match of the 2023 FIFA World Cup — but they’re not winners to fans left fuming after the most of the athletes stayed silent during the national anthem.Before the reigning women’s World Cup champion team went on to crush newcomer Vietnam 3-0, many of the players stood quietly as the “Star Spangled Banner” blared through New Zealand’s Eden Park arena.“Can someone teach [the United States Women’s Soccer team] the words to the ‘Star Spangled Banner’?” Their silence was deafening,” one person quipped.
My guess is that this is more than not knowing the words.
I don't know all the words to the anthem but you can do better than go mute. You can say "oh, say can you see" and you can definitely say with passion the line about "the land of the free and the home of the brave."
I think that it's cool these days among the young to knock the U.S.
Yet, the reality is that none of these girls would survive a day living anywhere else. Where would they get the training and development that they get here? Furthermore, what other country would tolerate such disrespect for their anthem?
Once again, the fools and the ingrates go woke on us. I would not be surprised if the folks back home give these young women the Disney treatment and turn off the T.V. Why wake up at some odd hour to watch a bunch of athletes who are so full of themselves?
In the meantime, there are a billion of young women around the world who’d like to learn this same anthem in a heartbeat and trade places with them. I bet a few of them live in Vietnam.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
A chat about rock and roll with Frank Burke, author and businessman
Guest: Frank Burke, author, businessman and contributor to American Thinker.....we will share some memories about rock music and discuss its impact in our culture, politics and language.....................
Click to listen:
Tags: Rock from Elvis to the Beatles To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!
Sunday, July 23, 2023
Sunday's podcast: Elections in Spain......Canada and NATO...US Women's soccer team...and other stories....
Sunday's podcast:
Elections in Spain......Canada and NATO...US Women's soccer team...and other stories...
click to listen:
Sunday's video: Elections in Spain......Canada and NATO...US Women's soccer team...and more
Sunday's video:
Elections in Spain......Canada and NATO...US Women's soccer team...
and more
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.
It's time to send Justin Trudeau to NATO purgatory
(My new American Thinker post)
Like some of you, my father would say "it's time for a frank talk" whenever he needed to tell me something I did not want to hear.
Back then, it was often a reminder that filling the gas tank was part of driving his car on Saturday nights.
Well, it's time for a little frank talk with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada because he's been eating too many free lunches lately.
Canada is not paying its "fair share" as the liberals like to say.
This is the story:
In 2014 all NATO members agreed to spend 2% of GDP on defense by 2024. Eleven out of 31 countries now make it, but Canada still isn’t close at 1.38%. That’s up from 1.01% in the nine years since 2014, but it still falls between those exemplars of muscular self-defense Italy (1.46%) and Slovenia (1.35%).Canada ranks sixth from NATO’s bottom in spending on defense as a share of GDP, and its spending on military equipment—i.e., weapons—is seventh lowest. Canada is a member of the G-7 democracies but spends less on defense than the other six.Canada was an important contributor to the Allied effort in World War II and is a founding member of NATO. But somewhere along the way it began to think of its membership as largely a place to rub shoulders with global powers and a platform for making moral pronouncements. Last week Ottawa put in its two cents against cluster munitions. But asking its citizens to meet their actual obligations to the cause of freedom is apparently too much to ask.One explanation may be the Trudeau government’s view that its military is more of a social project than fighting force. In his December 2021 mandate letter to the new minister of defense, Mr. Trudeau wrote: “Your immediate priority is to take concrete steps to build an inclusive and diverse Defence Team, characterized by a healthy workplace free from harassment, discrimination, sexual misconduct and violence.” See how that cultural manifesto works on the Ukrainian front lines.
I guess that Prime Minister Trudeau wants his armed forces to fight social injustice or something like that. He wants to turn Canadian soldiers into social workers. Not sure that will work with Chinese submarines interested in Alberta oil.
I see a couple of problems here:
First, Canada, like others in NATO, has grown accustomed to the U.S. protecting them. It's nice to have a neighbor with a huge military and a self-interest in keeping North America free of bad guys.
Second, the "free ride" has to stop. We all love Canadians but sooner or later they have to carry their weight on defense spending. It's nice for Canadian liberals to boast about social programs but not when they are taking defense money to do it.
Pay up, P.M. Trudeau or we may have to keep away from the big boys' NATO table and move you to purgatory.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
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