Monday, October 21, 2024
Cuba's blackouts: I know where I was in '62
Cuba's blackouts: I know where I was in '62 - American Thinker https://t.co/x8UNKwfb3J
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) October 21, 2024
Wolfman Jack's "Where were you in '62" was the line in the trailer for "American Graffiti."
"In a dramatic televised address to the American public, President John F. Kennedy announces that the Soviet Union has placed nuclear weapons in Cuba and, in response, the United States will establish a blockade around the island to prevent any other offensive weapons from entering Castro's state. Kennedy also warned the Soviets that any nuclear attack from Cuba would be construed as an act of war, and that the United States would retaliate in kind."
We remember Celia Cruz (1925-2003)
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 remember Celia Cruz....with Fernando Hernandez, author......she was born in Havana on this day in 1925........
We remember Dizzy Gillespie (1917-1993)
Dizzy Gillespie was born on this day in 1917. He died in 1993.
He left us a tremendous legacy of music and recordings for future generations to enjoy.
Dizzy Gillespie also pioneered the fusion of Afro-Cuban rhythms with jazz music in the 1940's.
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.
October 21, 1975: Another year to remember Carlton Fisk and game 6
It seems like the whole country was up watching game 6 of the 1975 World Series. It was about 12:30 ET when Fisk hit the foul pole and ended one of the greatest baseball games ever played.
It took me a while to fall sleep because the post game celebration went on for a while. I don't know if anybody slept that night in New England.
Cincinnati and Boston went back to work the next night to play game 7. It was a pretty good game. Yaz made the last out of the game and the Reds were the champs.
It was the greatest baseball moment of my generation.
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 remember Whitey Ford (1928-2020)
Ford pitched in 11 World Series for New York: 10-8 & 2.71 ERA. Overall, he was 236-106 with an amazing career ERA of 2.75!
Ford was selected to The Hall of Fame in 1974. He was the ace of some of the greatest Yankee teams ever. His teammates included Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Roger Maris and others.
And a great gentleman as well.
Memories of the old Yankee Stadium!
Yes, the Yankees were usually the team that I was rooting against.
Nevertheless, I love the Yankee tradition, history and those 20-something World Series championships.
I love "Pride of the Yankees", the great movie about Lou Gehrig. I watch it every time.
I love Billy Crystal's "61", the wonderful movie about Roger Maris and Mickey Mantle.
The Yankees are 27-11 in 38 World Series! They are the most successful professional sports franchise in the US. What else can you say?
In 1972, my dad, mom, brother, sister and I took a trip to New York.
We went to Yankee Stadium to catch a Saturday afternoon game between Baltimore and NY.
I remember staring at the field before the game. Truthfully, I was overwhelmed.
I kept looking to the Yankee dugout to see if Maris, Mantle, Whitey Ford, Berra or DiMaggio were in the park.
During my Baltimore days, the Orioles, Yankees and Red Sox were usually playing in a pennant race. It was some of the greatest baseball ever.
Over and over, Baltimore, Boston and New York decided the AL East in the last weekend of the season. Again, it was great baseball and Yankee Stadium was in the middle of it all!
More recently, the Rangers and Yankees played 3 great post-season series in 1996, 1998 and 1999.
New York won all 3 but it was great baseball. The Rangers finally got their revenge in 2010 when they beat New York to advance to the first World Series.
Who can forget the back to back Boston-New York AL championship series of 2003 and 2004?
Who can forget Reggie Jackson's 3 home runs in Game 6 of the 1977 Series?
There are a ton of memories, specially watching all of those Yankee veterans in the pre-game ceremony.
Thank God for giving us Yankee Stadium and all of those baseball memories.
Best of all, thank God for Yankee Stadium after 9-11.
I will never forget game 3 and Pres. Bush's pre-game strike.
I stayed up late to watch New York win those extra inning games in game 4 and 5.
Who can forget Derek Jeter and Paul O'Neill with their NYPD and NYFD caps? It was a wonderful tribute to the policemen and firemen who died on 9-11!
The new Yankee Stadium will have its own story. How can the new stadium top all of those rings and so many memorable moments? It will be hard but the Yankees are the Yankees!
1976: "Disco Duck" on the radio
1. Disco Duck, Part 1 -
"Disco duck" became one of the big novelty hits of all time. It was perfect for the time, a nation in the middle of a stressful election looking for a little fun!
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 Battle of Trafalgar (1805)
World War II: A look at the political leaders with Barry Jacobsen
World War II: A look at the political leaders with Barry Jacobsen...click to listen... https://t.co/4tNmAe0WGZ— Silvio Canto, Jr. (@SCantojr) July 14, 2017
Sunday, October 20, 2024
CANTO TALK podcasts from last week
This is a summary of our podcasts from last week...........
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.
Go blue, go broke
Go blue, go broke - American Thinker https://t.co/JxyZ8Izwxf
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) October 20, 2024
I’m not sure if I’m the author of “go blue, go broke” but it fits the situation in Los Angeles.
What a mess in what used to be a great city. Let’s take a look at this editorial from The LA Times:
L.A. is broke. Mayor Karen Bass and the City Council have to get serious about developing a plan to stabilize the city’s finances this year and for the future.
It won’t be an easy task. In just the first three months of the fiscal year that started July 1, the city is on the hook for $258 million in liability costs. The largest category of payouts — 40% — is related to police department negligence or use of force. About a third of the payouts involve personal injury cases from dangerous conditions, such as broken sidewalks and streetlights. Some 15% are employment cases involving harassment and other workplace conditions.
While the liability expenses are the immediate cause of the dire financial picture, the budget adopted by Bass and the council was already overstretched in large part because of expensive raises for police officers and civilian employees approved in the last fiscal year.
Go blue, go broke.
Once upon a time, L.A. was a vibrant beautiful city that attracted people to its surroundings. It was not perfect, nothing is, but it worked. The traffic was a mess but at least people got home safely.
How do you fix this mess? Don’t expect the state to help you because they are not doing much better. Washington D.C. is no better option because there aren’t 60 votes in the U.S. Senate to bail out a sanctuary city.
No easy solutions, I agree. Maybe the citizens can start by saying “you’re fired” and vote for some people with common sense rather than politicians obsessed with reparations and hating Trump.
P.S.: Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
We remember Mickey Mantle (1931-1995)
Mickey Mantle's funeral took place in Dallas, Texas back in August 1995. It reminded me of those days when we all loved Mick and his baseball exploits.
We remember Tom Petty (1950-2017)
We remember Tom Petty who was born in Florida on this day in 1950. He passed away in 2017 or a couple of days before he turned 67.
Petty's guitar was the common denominator in all of his songs. And you can still hear his music all over the radio.
Happy # 87 Juan Marichal
Marichal broke with the Giants in 1960 pitching a shutout against the Phillies. He went on to pitch 14 seasons with San Francisco: 238 wins, 2.84 ERA and 244 complete games.
Overall, he won 243 games after finishing with Boston in 1974 and LA in 1975.
In 1963, Marichal and Warren Spahn of the Braves locked into one of the greatest pitching duels in major league. I wrote about it here: The day Marichal and Spahn took work ethic to a higher level.
I finally had a chance to see Marichal when he played for Boston in 1974. He was an old veteran but still had that magical leg kick. it was a real treat to say that I saw him pitch even at the end of his marvelous career.
Marichal was selected to The Hall of Fame in 1983.
1803: US Senate ratified The Louisiana Purchase
It confirmed President Jefferson's decision. There were many concerns back then about the constitutionality of the purchase.
Nevertheless, it doubled the size of the country and gave the US control of the Mississippi River.
1973: What they called "The Saturday night massacre"
Back in October 1973, the A's and Mets were playing a very good World Series.
It started when President Nixon told Attorney General Richardson to fire Watergate prosecutor Archibald Fox. AG Richardson resigned in protest. Deputy Attorney General Ruckelshaus resigned too.
So President Nixon went down the chain of command and Solicitor General Robert Bork fired Mr. Cox. (We would hear Bork's name again in 1987 when he was nominated by President Reagan to The Supreme Court. We now use the word "Borking" when an opponent is attacked in every possible way)
It became "The Saturday Night Massacre". However, no one got killed and President Nixon had the authority to fire the Watergate prosecutor.
Archibald Cox was eventually replaced by Leon Jaworski. He resumed the investigation and Nixon resigned the presidency on August 8, 1974.
The origins and causes of World War I with Barry Jacobsen
In 2014, we looked at the 100th anniversary of World War I with Barry Jacobsen. Here is the first part.....
Saturday, October 19, 2024
When two young people exchanged wedding rings in Spain
When two young people exchanged wedding rings in Spain - American Thinker https://t.co/Wv9kHFSJYk
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) October 19, 2024
Like some of you, I have a Spanish connection. My maternal grandfather was born in Asturias and came to Cuba in the 1920s. He met my future grandmother Adelina, also of Spanish stock. My other “abuelos” have Spanish heritage as well. The Canto side came to Cuba in the 1860s. Cool story, as my sons would say.
Spanish history is interesting to me. So it is shocking for me to hear of low Spanish birth rates and how Spain — the people that is — may disappear. Who replaces them? I hope it’s people who appreciate the country and the language.
So let’s look at a marriage that mattered a lot. On this day in 1469, 20-year-old Ferdinand of Aragon married 18-year-old Isabella of Castile. On the surface, it sounds like another wedding between a couple of young royals. In reality, it turned out to be one of the most consequential marriages in world history.
First, it united all the dominions of Spain into what would become the world’s foremost military power.
Years later, they sponsored Columbus’s trip, and the rest is the good history we used to learn in school before the P.C. crowd decided to spoil our celebrations of Columbus Day. The trips convinced the royal couple to encourage colonial activity in the New World, leading to a period of great prosperity and imperial supremacy for Spain.
A more dubious action occurred in 1492 — incredibly, the same year that Columbus departed on his trip, when they ordered all Spanish Jews to convert to Christianity or face expulsion from Spain. The Muslims were also driven out of Spain during their very consequential reign.
They were what we would call today a power couple, as Kathy Copeland Padden wrote:
They had an incredibly modern relationship in many ways, with Isabella on an equal par with her husband. They enjoyed a profound love and mutual respect in their relationship, tirelessly working together to achieve their aims.
In Ferdinand and Isabella’s estimation, their crowning achievement wasn’t expanding their empire to include the New World, or uniting the various dominions that would become modern Spain. They believed their greatest accomplishment was driving out all Muslims from their country.
They both died young: Ferdinand died in 1516 and Isabella in 1504. Who knew that the grandson of a Spaniard, born in Cuba and raised in the U.S. would remember this? My grandparents up in heaven are probably thrilled.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
We remember Ossie Álvarez (1932-2008)
Ossie was a promising middle infielder primarily known for his speed and defensive skills. He was in the Washington Senators’ farm system and led the minors twice in stolen bases.
1981: Rick Monday's HR beat Montreal in game 5
We remember Rick Monday for a few reasons:
1) He was a good player: 241 HR and 775 RBI with the Kansas City/Oakland A's, Chicago Cubs and LA Dodgers;
2) In 1976, he stopped two people from burning the US flag in an afternoon game at Wrigley Field; and,
3) Monday hit a top of the 9th HR off Steve Rogers to put LA rather than Montreal in the 1981 World Series. I heard it on the radio!
I think that they called it "Blue Monday" in Montreal for several years.
Great player and big post season moment.
Happy # 48 Michael Young
We remember Michael Young who was born in LA on this day in 1976.
It took a couple of years but Michael Young turned into one of the best players in the league: .300 average, 2,375 hits and a few Gold Gloves!
Michael retired in 2015 and now works in the Rangers' office.
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.
October 1961: "The Dick Van Dyke Show" made its debut on TV
"The Dick Van Dyke Show" made its debut this month in 1961. It was around for a few seasons (1961-66) and very active in reruns. The show was about a TV comedy writer, his beautiful wife Laura and co-workers Morey & Rosemarie.
What great show and it makes me laugh every time.
Luis Tiant: 163 pitches and complete game in game 4 of the 1975 World Series
Friday, October 18, 2024
Is Kam BO without the banking crisis?
Is Kam BO without the banking crisis? - American Thinker https://t.co/jEEtCbCU9U
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) October 18, 2024
We discuss politics, sports and a few extras!
Is Kam BO without the banking crisis?
We hear that VP Kamala Harris is desperately trying to save the blue wall, keeping those states in the Democrat column. It’s a sign of weakness, an indication that VP Harris is not persuading Hispanics or African Americans, especially men.
Let’s check the story:
With three weeks left in the presidential campaign, Democrat Kamala Harris is spending most of her days trying to shore up support in the “blue wall” states of Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin as she tries to avoid a repeat of Hillary Clinton’s collapse there eight years ago.
The vice president campaigned at a hockey rink on Monday in Erie, Pennsylvania, where she denounced Republican candidate Donald Trump as “unhinged.” She visited an art gallery in Detroit with actors Don Cheadle, Delroy Lindo and Cornelius Smith. Jr. on Tuesday, then recorded a radio town hall with Charlamagne tha God.
On Wednesday, Harris was back in Pennsylvania to stress allegiance to the Constitution as she stood just steps from the banks of the Delaware River, where George Washington crossed with his troops in a pivotal moment of the Revolutionary War.
Her pace doesn’t let up for the rest of the week. Harris is expected to hold three events in Wisconsin on Thursday, including a meet-and-greet with students at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and three more in Michigan on Friday. She then campaigns in Detroit on Saturday.
Okay, we get it. Blue ain’t as blue as they thought.
Maybe there is a larger problem. Kam doesn’t have the luck of Barack.
Back in 2008, many of us didn’t think that then Senator Obama was ready to be president. In fact, I thought that the election was over after watching Senator McCain totally outperform Senator Obama in their first debate, the one about national security.
Then we got hit by a banking crisis that froze the campaign and put the GOP under the microscope. President George W. Bush had to make tough decisions. Senator McCain had to take tough votes. Senator Obama just sat in the corner and said “hope and change”.
It worked and an empty suit was elected president.
VP Harris is not so lucky, even if many in the media are out to protect her. She won’t have that banking crisis to freeze the campaign. Also, she is now “the insider” and can’t sit in the corner and blame others.
So Kam is in trouble and wondering why Obama got all the lucky breaks.
P.S. Check out my blog for posts, podcasts and videos.
We remember the great Chuck Berry (1926-2017)
Many of us learned of Chuck Berry when we heard The Beatles, Rolling Stones or other British bands record covers of his songs.
I remember asking the question: Who is that fellow Berry who wrote “Rock and roll music” or “Carol” or “Reeling and rocking”.
In 1972, I saw Chuck Berry in concert and I became a huge fan.
We remember Chuck Berry who was born in St. Louis on this day in 1926 . He died in 2017.
We remember Barbara Billingsley (1915-2010)
Like many of you, I grew up watching “Leave it to Beaver”. I still love the reruns and watch them whenever I have the time.
The day Reggie became Mr. October
(My new American Thinker post)
Yes, I remember watching this: it was game 6 of the 1977 World Series. Reggie Jackson hit three HR in a row off three different pitchers: Burt Hooton, Elias Sosa, and Charlie Hough. And then he became Mr. October! This is the story:
"Legendary ABC play-by-play man Keith Jackson set the scene as Reggie Jackson stepped to the plate in the bottom of the eighth of Game 6 of the 1977 World Series.
“Reggie Jackson has seen two pitches in the strike zone tonight. Two. And he’s hit them both in the seats,” Jackson said on the night of Oct. 18, 1977. A 10-second pause followed as the capacity crowd at Yankee Stadium cheered New York’s right fielder. Then, Dodgers pitcher Charlie Hough went into his windup and delivered.
“High…” Keith Jackson said as he began to describe the ball that Jackson smashed to center field.
But that was all he could manage before his broadcast partner, Howard Cosell, excitedly interrupted him.
“Goodbye! Oh, what a blow! What a way to top it off!” Cosell yelled as the ball bounced off the black-painted batter’s eye and into a fan’s waiting hands. “Forget about who the Most Valuable Player is in the World Series. How this man has responded to pressure.”
Those were the days. Keith Jackson calling a baseball game and Howard Cosell always sharing his thoughts. How do you beat that?
1977 was Jackson's first year with the Yankees: .286 BA, 32 HR & 110 RBI and a great post season. Overall, Jackson hit .357 with 10 HR & 24 RBI in 27 World Series games with Oakland and New York.
I remember watching this game with mixed feelings. On one hand, I always appreciate players from any sport doing something historic. On the other hand, I did not really like Jackson because he was a "hot dog" as we called them back then. He was also a hot dog who hit massive home runs, especially when I was cheering for the Orioles against the A's in the ALCS or against the Yankees in those late 1970s AL East pennant races. It just seemed that Jackson would figure out some way of killing my team. So I hated him in that sort of way that baseball fans hate the big bat on the other team.
My hatred for Jackson is now long game. So I just smile now watching those old videos of Reggie circling the bases and loving every accolade coming from the crowd. Yes, no one loved attention more than Jackson. Unlike others, this Jackson earned each one even if at times you'd wish our pitcher would nail him in the back the next time he batted.