Sunday's podcast:
Guest: Enrique Garcia, insurance professional North Texas.....We discussed the insurance rate increases nationwide and other stories.....
Sunday, February 18, 2024
Sunday's video: Insurance rates up with Enrique Garcia, North Texas professional
Sunday's video:
Insurance rates up with Enrique Garcia, North Texas professional....
Teens with guns again
Click to read:
Teens with guns again - American Thinker https://t.co/rqdfZp14Ys
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) February 18, 2024
Happy # 70 John Travolta
We say happy birthday to John Travolta who was born in New Jersey on this day in 1954.
As everyone knows, I am not a movie critic. I do remember "Saturday Night Fever" and watching John Travolta put on a dancing clinic. I recall leaving the theater "dumb founded" with Travolta's incredible performance.
It wasn't much of a story but it was a great dancing movie! So this is my choice for "dancing movie"!
It wasn't much of a story but it was a great dancing movie! So this is my choice for "dancing movie"!
P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk). If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column.
Happy # 74 John Mayberry
We say happy birthday to John Mayberry who was born in Detroit on this day in 1949.
Mayberry broke with the Astros in 1968 but did not get to play every day until he became Kansas City's first baseman in 1972.
After that, John was one of the top power hitters in the AL with KC and Toronto: .261 average, .360 on base pct, 255 HR and 881 RBI in 1,670 games.
Mayberry's best season was 1975: .291, 36 HR, 106 RBI and second in the AL MVP to Fred Lynn.
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.
We remember Luis Arroyo (1927-2016)
We remember Luis Arroyo who was born in Puerto Rico on this day in 1927. He died in 2016 at age 88.
Luis was a very effective major league pitcher from Puerto Rico.
In 1961, Arroyo pitched for the NY Yankees: 15-9, 2.19 ERA and 29 saves. He also pitched in 2 World Series (1960 & 1961) and 8 seasons overall.
After baseball, Arroyo managed in Puerto Rico.
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.
February 2008: The Dems' NAFTA charade goes on in Ohio
Obama is right that Hillary Clinton has danced around NAFTA.
Once upon a time, Clinton was for the Iraq War and NAFTA.
In today's populist and leftist Dem party, Hillary Clinton's support for free trade and the war are poison.
The China trade deal and NAFTA were two of the most significant parts of Clinton's legacy.
These trade deals were two of the biggest reasons that 4 million liberals voted for Nader in 2000! One of these voters was Michael Moore, who wrote a nasty letter to VP Gore in 2000 about the impact of these trade deals.
This weekend, Obama is hitting Clinton really hard on NAFTA.
Obama is wrong in pandering for votes by beating up NAFTA. Today, The NY Times hit Obama and Clinton hard on their attacks against NAFTA:
"In a review in 2003, the Congressional Budget Office concluded that Nafta had slightly increased growth in the United States and that any disruptive effects on employment were small. Trade opens foreign markets for American producers and gives consumers more choices, while competition spurs productivity growth at home." (It Must Be Ohio)Once in a while, I agree with The NY Times. They are right here, at least in the paragraph about NAFTA.
PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).
February 2008: "Yes we can" hang a picture of Che at Obama's office!
A post from February 2008
Our thanks to Captain Ed (A Flag Obama Supporters Salute?).
It's possible that Obama did not know about this picture. I can't expect for the presidential candidate to know what pictures hang at every office across the country. For the moment, I will cut Obama some slack on this.
This picture is significant because of what it tells you about many of Obama's supporters.
They are either very ignorant and insensitive. Or, as I suspect, the Obama campaign is full of leftists.
What would be the Dems' reaction if a Republican presidential candidate had a Chilean picture with Pinochet's face? My guess is that many in the media would ask for an explanation.
Someone should ask Obama at this picture. This is a stupid picture as well as an insult to all of those who were killed by Che, Fidel and communists all over the world.
PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).
February 2008: Nolan Ryan is back with the Rangers!
A memo from February 2008
Welcome back Nolan Ryan. The Rangers made a lot of local baseball fans very happy today! (Nolan Ryan hired as Texas Rangers' president)
Of course, Ryan can't pitch anymore but he will be a wonderful PR figure. Ryan, along with Pudge Rodriguez, is probably the most popular Ranger in history. (Buddy Bell is a close 3rd and Michael Young is going up very fast)
I am very happy for Ryan and the Rangers!
PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).
February 2006: President Carter's speech at the funeral
A post from February 2006:
From time to time, historians do presidential ratings. They are usually very interesting and consistent. Washington, Lincoln and FDR are usually in the Top 3.
Jimmy Carter is usually down the list.
Between 1981 and 1996, Carter was kept away from Democrat conventions. He did not speak on prime time. In fact, he was avoided by every Democrat nominee.
Bill Clinton went out of his way in '92 to say that he was not Carter.
Yesterday, Carter made a fool of himself at the Mrs. King funeral. He injected partisan politics into a funeral. This is shameful and someone in the party should call on Carter to apologize.
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.
The great Tom Landry
It's hard to believe that Tom Landry coached his last game in 1988. He was replaced in early 1989 when Jerry Jones bought the Cowboys. He led Dallas to 2 Super Bowl victories in 5 appearances.
Coach Landry was a World War II veteran and a great man or or off the field.
Pop stars from before they called us Hispanics
What was it like years ago? What was it like before they called us "Hispanics"?
Let's start with Richie Valens. His story was popularized in "La Bamba", a great movie from the late 1980s.
Richie Valens was born Richard Steven Valenzuela in LA. He was only 18 when he was killed in 1959 along with the legendary Buddy Holly. His career was very short but significant. His hits included "La Bamba", "Donna" and "We belong together".
Second, Trini Lopez was born Trinidad López III in Dallas. He hit the top of the charts with "Lemon tree", "Michael" and "If I had a hammer".
Third, it took me a while to learn about Vikki Carr. She was born Florencia Bisenta de Casillas Martinez Cardona in El Paso, TX. I heard a lot of her songs before learning of her Hispanic roots. She was a bilingual singer before Gloria Estefan made it cool to do so. One of her biggest English hits was "It must be him":
Fourth, ? and the Mysterians had a few hits. The group's name promoted mystery, almost like a cult around lead singer (?) a.k.a Question Mark.
They were Mexican American kids from Flint, Michigan. They were Larry Borjas on guitar, Robert Balderrama, and Robert Martinez on guitars and bongos. The lead singer was the mysterious "?". Their biggest hit was "96 tears":
And last, but not least, Sam the Sham and The Pharaohs was headed by Sam, who was born Domingo “Sam” Samudio in Dallas. They recorded "Wooly Bully", one of the greatest party songs of the rock era.
They did not make as much money as today's performers. In fact, some of these artists are out of music today. Yet, we should remember their unique contributions to the Hispanic experience.
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.
1801: Thomas Jefferson is elected the 3rd president of the US
On February 17, 1801, Thomas Jefferson is elected the third president of the United States. The election constitutes the first peaceful transfer of power from one political party to another in the United States.
It's hard to read one book or documentary about Thomas Jefferson. He was such an amazing man that one could spend hours just reading or hearing about his life.
Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, executed The Louisiana Purchase and exchanged great letters with President Adams. He did a lot more!
He was one of the most consequential men in US history.
Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, executed The Louisiana Purchase and exchanged great letters with President Adams. He did a lot more!
He was one of the most consequential men in US history.
The great "girl groups" and a few other ladies!
Let's start with the biggest "girl group" or The Supremes. At one point, Diana Ross and her two friends from Detroit competed with The Beatles for the top of the charts. My favorite was "Come see about me",
The Marvelettes had a great name and some big hits like "Too Many Fish In the Sea", "I'll Keep Holding On" and "Don't Mess With Bill". My favorite was "Beachwood 4-5789", a catchy tune and one of the greatest song titles of all time.
The SHIRELLES were a very close second to The Supremes. They recorded songs like "Soldier Boy", "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow", "Dedicated To The One I Love" and "Mama Said". I did not know this: The Shirelles were the first all girl group of the Rock and Roll Era to score a number one record! It's hard to pick one but I liked "Foolish little girl"
The Shangri-las were from Queens, New York. They were sisters Betty and Mary Weiss and twins Margie and Mary-Ann Ganser. They met at Andrew Jackson High School and had a very unique look. Their biggest hit was "Leader of the pack".
The Ronettes were also from NY City. Their biggest hit was "Be my baby" but I liked "Walking in the rain".
Leslie Gore was not a part of a "girl group". She had songs like "It's my party", "Judy's turn to cry", "She's a fool", "Sunshine, Lollipops and Rainbows" and "That's the Way Boys Are". Most of her songs were about "teen boy-girl" issues. My favorite was "California Nights", a song recorded at the end of her career.
Let me say a word about Petula Clark. She was my favorite female vocalist from this period. My parents enjoyed her songs because they were so polished. Petula Clark had an amazing voice. She had hits like "Downtown", "My love" and "I know a place". My favorite song was "Kiss me goodbye".
Let me add Carole King. She was a great songwriter in the 1960's. In 1971, she released her own album called "Tapestry". She recorded several songs in the 1970's. My favorite song was "Sweet seasons".
Barbara Lewis was a hit machine. She recorded "Hello stranger" and "Baby I'm yours". My favorite was "Make me your baby".
Let's go back to the Supremes. As I wrote before, they were the top girl group. This is "Stop in the name of love".
The girl groups were great. They were one of the most interesting chapters of the pop-rock era!
What would Mark Twain say of this PC culture?
It was 1885 or the year that Mark Twain published The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I remember reading the Spanish version in Cuba and imagining all the stories about the Mississippi River. In 1967, our family took a trip to Minneapolis to watch the Twins play, and we drove a portion of the river. My brother started talking about Huck’s river, as we called it in Cuba.
Many years later, and in the university, I read it again and saw the book as more than just a kid’s adventure. It was rather a look at many of the things going on, including the issue of slavery.
Just recently, a school district banned the book and the movie as well:
In general, the debate over Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn has centered around the language of the book, which has been objected to on social grounds. Huck Finn, Jim and many other characters in the book speak in regional dialects of the South. It is a far cry from the queen’s English. More specifically, the use of the word “nigger” in reference to Jim and other African-American characters in the book, along with the portrayal of those characters, has offended some readers, who consider the book racist.Although many critics have argued that Twain’s ultimate effect is to humanize Jim and attack the brutal racism of slavery, the book frequently flagged and protested by students and parents alike. It was the fifth most-frequently-challenged book in the United States during the 1990s, according to the American Library Association.Yielding to public pressure, some publishers have substituted “slave” or “servant” for the term that Mark Twain uses in the book, which is derogatory to African Americans.In 2015, an ebook version published by the company CleanReader offered a version of the book with three different filter levels – clean, cleaner, and squeaky clean – a strange edition for an author known to enjoy swearing.
Well, put me down as “negative” on all of this.
First, it is true that the book uses the “n-word,” but that’s how people spoke at that time. I’m defending not the word, but rather the reality of the book. Are we going to shut down West Side Story because of language offensive to Puerto Ricans? I hope not!
Second, this whole debate once more highlights the intolerance of the people who preach tolerance. Are they going to burn all of their Che T-shirts because of all those nasty quotes about blacks and Mexicans? Are they going to stop naming streets after Cesar Chávez because of how he opposed illegal immigration?
Many years ago, my mother said something about the past. It loosely translated to “leaving the past in its grave.” I think we should leave all books alone, learn from them, and move on.
Let some kid in the future enjoy this book as much as I did many years ago.
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