Monday, June 30, 2025

The Big Bill, birthright & more

 Click to watch;

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wVEzmk5wC2Q

So Canada wants to pick a tax fight?

So Canada wants to pick a tax fight?: As a Canadian friend told me after the church on Sunday, his compatriots up north need to start thinking about their country and less about hating Trump. It seems that the Canadian version of Trump Derangement Syndrome is alive and well up there. T
he...
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Happy # 81 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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Happy # 95 Thomas Sowell!


Image result for thomas sowell images
Thomas Sowell is a national treasure.   He was born on this day in 1930 in North Carolina.

In 2007, Sewell published a masterpiece. See "Disparities" in Income & Wealth By Thomas Sowell:
"They are hot to redistribute the existing income and wealth but seem wholly unaware that how you do that today can affect how much income and wealth will be produced tomorrow. Any number of schemes for redistributing wealth have ended up redistributing poverty in a number of countries.
"Progressives" in the media and among academics and intellectuals claim to be interested in ending poverty but the production of more output is the only way to end poverty for millions of people."
That's right! Make reading Sowell one of your resolutions.

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June 30, 1936: "Gone with the wind" was published

Sunday, June 29, 2025

CANTO TALK podcasts from last week


Catch our shows from last week:

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Can the Dems make up their mind on war powers?

Can the Dems make up their mind on war powers?: A few days ago, the US Senate killed another effort to limit the war powers of a GOP president. This is the story: The Senate voted Friday evening to kill a war powers resolution that would have forced President Trump to seek congressional approval….
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1966: "Paperback writer" by The Beatles was # 1 this week

It's a shame that I did not save all of those wonderful 45 cover photos.   My guess is that this one is quite a collector's item.   After all, George and John are shown playing the guitar as lefties.  

"Paperback writer" was one of the group's finest 45's.   The B-side of "Rain" was a sign of things to come.   

The single were introduced on The Ed Sullivan Show in 2 fantastic promo films.    They were available on YouTube but no more.

The Beatles released 3 US LPs between Christmas 1965 and the summer of 1966.   However,  "Paperback writer", or the B-side of "Rain", were not included in the US versions of "Rubber Soul", "Yesterday and today" or "Revolver".     

Why wasn't this 45 included in the "Revolver" LP?   Good question because it fits that LP beautifully.   


By the way, the book below has "a song by song" story of every one recorded and released by the group.   It is a wonderful resource to remember all of those tunes that we listened to on vinyl many years ago.

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We remember Harmon Killebrew (1936-2011)


The great Harmon Killebrew, one of great baseball sluggers of our youth, was born on this day in 1936.   He passed away in 2011 of cancer.  He was 74.

Killebrew started with the original Washington Senators who became the  Minnesota Twins in 1961.  He won the AL MVP in 1969, played in the 1965 World Series plus the ALCS in 1969 & 70.

From 1964 to 1971, Killebrew and Tony Oliva, who usually batted in front of Harmon, were one of the best hitting combinations ever.   Tony won 3 batting titles and Harmon just hit a ton of home runs.   

We remember those "titanic home runs" that got lost in the clouds all over baseball parks.    Killebrew was indeed one of my all time favorite players.

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June 29, 1990: Dave Stewart and Fernando Valenzuela pitched no hitters

It was an ESPN Friday night doubleheader: The A's in Toronto and the Cardinals in LA.   

By the end of the baseball night, history was made when Dave Stewart and Fernando Valenzuela pitched no-hitters.

According to news reports, Valenzuela learned of Stewart's no hitter minutes before taking the mound.  Tommy Lasorda, the LA manager, joked with Valenzuela about pitching another no hitter that night.

To be honest, I saw Dave Stewart's last 4 innings but did not make it to watch the West Coast game.

A great night for two of the best pitchers of 1990.

Valenzuela won 173 games, primarily with LA.   He could have won 200 games but injuries caught up with him.   We remember him for a tremendous rookie season in 1981 and that complete game in game 3 of the World Series that year.    He was a workhorse and pitched 117 complete games.

Stewart won 168 games and enjoyed great success with the A's.   He won 119 games over a 7 year period with the A's, including 4 consecutive 20-win seasons.   He was also a workhorse with lots of high innings totals.
 
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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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June 29, 1941: DiMaggio reached # 42

On this day in 1941, the amazing Joe DiMaggio singled in the sixth inning in the first game of a doubleheader to tie George Sisler’s A.L. consecutive-game hit record of 41 games. 
In the second game, he set the record at 42 games with a single in the seventh inning.   
What makes DiMaggio so great is that he’d play doubleheaders.  My guess is that the manager offered to give him a game off but he went out and played.
After getting # 42, his next goal was the N.L. record of 44.    As you probably know, he got to 44, 45 and finished at 56. 
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The great music of the summer of 1968!


My brother and I started collecting records in 1966. 

My parents bought us a GE record player and we rushed to the store. We used to buy 45's back then, which sold for 69 cents! (Gas was 19 cents!)

1968 was a very crazy political year. It was reflected in the music. I don't remember any love songs that summer. The music was rough but it was also great rock.

Let's start with the greatest record of the summer of '68.  Years later, this is still one of the best rock songs of the rock era. It was also one of the last songs that included Brian Jones, who died in '69 in an accident.

"I was born in a cross-fire hurricane
And I howled at my ma in the driving rain,But its all right now, in fact, its a gas!But its all right. Im jumpin jack flash, Its a gas! gas! gas!"
My second selection is "White Room" by Cream. This was a group created by Eric Clapton, along with Jack Bruce and Ginger Baker. They didn't record a lot of LP's but this was their greatest single.

It was a summer for hard rock bands. However, The Bee Gees gave us wonderful harmonies in "I've gotta get a message to you". This is still one of my favorite songs from The Brothers Gibb.

The Beatles' "Hey Jude" was released later or at the end of summer. It actually charted in the fall.  Nevertheless, it was the #1 song of the year!

It was a good summer to collect records!

The Beach Boys recorded a lot of interesting songs in 1967, such as "Good Vibrations" and "Darlin"! In 1968, they went back to their beach sound with "Do it again"!


The Seekers had a pop-folk flavor. They were probably too romantic for the crazy summer of '68. However, they recorded many songs and "I'll never find another you" was my favorite:

I guess that the events made in Prague made The Rascals' "People got to be free" a little more than just a song:

It was indeed a good summer to collect records!

I did not care that much for Sergio Mendes but the girls were very attractive. They took the Beatles' "Fool on the hill" and gave it a different sound:


Looking back, it was indeed a great summer for a couple of teens to collect records.


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Saturday, June 28, 2025

Quite a week for President Trump


The week started with the attack against the Iran facilities.   The next big event were Supreme Court opinions, from Planned Parenthood, to a big win for parents and shooting down nationwide injunctions.  The reconciliation bill is in the US Senate this weekend and the vote 


No time for word salads?

No time for word salads?: Maybe you’ve heard that former VP Harris wants to run for governor of California.  Maybe she wants to do a Nixon, or lose a governor’s race and then come back a few years later.  I don’t know if that’s the plan, but ...
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June 28, 1941: Joe DiMaggio reached # 40 on the way to 56


We remember one of sports' most amazing accomplishments, i.e. the 56-game hitting streak that kept the entire nation checking the daily sports pages for updates.

Joe DiMaggio entered historic territory on this day in 1941 when he went 2-for-5 and cracked the "40 circle".  

He became the 5th major leaguer to do so:
Willie Keeler 45 1896-1897
Bill Dahlen 42 1894
George Sisler 41 1922
Ty Cobb       40 1911
We should add that Pete Rose got to 44 in 1978.

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Happy # 65 to John Elway





We remember John Elway, one of the great QB's in NFL history.      John was born in Port Angeles, Washington in 1960.


Elway came out of Stanford and was drafted by the Colts but eventually signed with the Broncos.  

Elway and the Broncos lost 3 Super Bowl in 1987, 1988 and 1990.    He came back a few years later and defeated the Green Bay Packers in Super Bowl XXXII.  They repeated by defeating the Atlanta Falcons 34–19 the next season.

His accomplishments put him in the NFL Hall of Fame:
148 games won as a starting quarterback – NFL Record
47 game-winning or game-tying drives in the fourth quarter – NFL Record
5-time Super Bowl starting quarterback – NFL Record
50,000+ career passing yards and 3,000+ career rushing yards – NFL Record
7 consecutive seasons with 3000+ passing yards and 200+ rushing yards
NFL Most Valuable Player – 1987
Super Bowl Most Valuable Player – Super Bowl XXXIII
9-time Pro Bowl selection
3-time All Pro selection
Enjoy your day John!   Great career!

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

Al Downing gave up Hank Aaron's 715th career HR in Atlanta, Apr. 8 ...
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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We remember Don Baylor (1948-2017)

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The great Don Baylor was born in Austin, Texas in 1949.     He died in 2017.

Don was drafted by the Orioles in 1967 and moved quickly through their farm system.      I recall reading about Don Baylor & Bobby Grich in the O's farm system.    They came up together and spent years with Baltimore and later with the Angels.

Don finally joined the O's in 1972 and became the starting left fielder.    

Days before the start of the 1976 season, Baylor was traded to the A's in the blockbuster Reggie Jackson trade.    (Don Baylor & Mike Torres for Reggie Jackson & Ken Holtzman)

Baylor's best days were with the Angels:  MVP in '79 and 141 HR over 6 seasons.

He retired with 338 HR & 1,276 RBI in 2,292 games.     In 1989, Don reflected on his career in an autobiography.

After that, he managed the Rockies and Cubs.  

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.







1914: Austria's Archduke Ferdinand assassinated


Image result for world war I clipart images

Back 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.

On August 1, 1914, World War I began to take shape:   
".....four days after Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, two more great European powers—Russia and Germany—declare war on each other; the same day, France orders a general mobilization. 
The so-called “Great War” that ensued would be one of unprecedented destruction and loss of life, resulting in the deaths of some 20 million soldiers and civilians and the physical devastation of much of the European continent."
We started this series with Barry Jacobsen in 2014, or the 100th anniversary of World War I.

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Listen to "The origins and causes of World War I with Barry Jacobsen" on Spreaker.

Friday, June 27, 2025

Supreme Court and big win for common sense plus more


Supreme Court and district judges. NY City and Jewish votes. Kamala Harris for Governor of CA 2026. Canada trade deal? Happy # 83 Rico Petrocelli.

Have Jewish Democrats finally gotten the memo?

Have Jewish Democrats finally gotten the memo?: There are many angles to what happened last Tuesday night in New York City. The biggest one may be that a city home to many Jews has nominated someone who believes that line…
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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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Happy # 83 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, 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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1973: David Clyde made his pitching debut


On this day in 1973, the Rangers were desperately trying to sell seats.   
They were coming off a 54-100 record in 1972.  Their best player in the opening season in Texas was an aging Frank Howard.    The roster included young guys like future AL MVP Jeff Burroughs and All Star Toby Harrah but they were not exciting anybody in North Texas yet.    
In other words, the '73 Rangers needed a shot in the arm.  Enter David Clyde, a young man from Houston.  
The good news is that David Clyde was a great high school baseball prospect.   The bad news is that he was rushed to the majors years ago.    The Rangers sold many tickets for his debut but not much happened after that!
Clyde never developed into the major league pitcher that everyone predicted.   At the same time, he should have spent a couple of  years in the minors before pitching in the majors.   He wasn’t ready and it probably hurt his career.
He won 7 over a 2-year period.  Clyde was eventually traded to Cleveland.  By the way, I saw him pitch with Cleveland against Baltimore before he retired.   
Overall, a sad story.
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Thursday, June 26, 2025

New York aftermath, Supreme Court opinions and more


New York election and the Jewish vote. Party reacts to NYC election. Iran intellegence.  Supreme Court Planned parenthood.  Happy # 51 Derek Jeter


I guess the commie must be in New York City

I guess the commie must be in New York City: Sorry, Harry Nilsson. Never thought that one of my old 45s would inspire me to write a political post in 2025. As you probably know, New York City Democrat primary voters decided to nominate the lefty of lefties as their candidate for..
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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.

June 26, 1948: The Berlin Airlift starts





Remember when we had a president who made consequential decisions rather than pander for votes with unconstitutional decrees?

Years ago, Pres Truman started the Berlin Airlift of 1948:
"On June 24, 1948, the Soviet Union blocked all road and rail travel to and from West Berlin, which was located within the Soviet zone of occupation in Germany. The Soviet action was in response to the refusal of American and British officials to allow Russia more say in the economic future of Germany. The U.S. government was shocked by the provocative Soviet move, and some in President Harry S. Truman's administration called for a direct military response. Truman, however, did not want to cause World War III. Instead, he ordered a massive airlift of supplies into West Berlin. On June 26, 1948, the first planes took off from bases in England and western Germany and landed in West Berlin. It was a daunting logistical task to provide food, clothing, water, medicine, and other necessities of life for the over 2 million fearful citizens of the city. For nearly a year, American planes landed around the clock. Over 200,000 planes carried in more than one-and-a-half million tons of supplies. 
The Soviets persisted with the blockade until May 1949. By then, however, it was apparent to everyone concerned that the blockade had been a diplomatic fiasco for the Russians. Around the world, the Soviets were portrayed as international bullies, holding men, women, and children hostage in West Berlin and threatening them with starvation. The unbelievably successful American airlift also backfired against the Russians by highlighting the technological superiority of the United States. By the time the Soviets ended the blockade, West Germany had become a separate and independent nation and the Russian failure was complete."
It was a victory for the West.  It showed that we had a president who was willing to stand up to the Soviets.  In other words, we had a leader rather than "a panderer" for votes.

I should add that Pres Truman made this decision in an election year.  He could  have played it safe and avoid the issue.  Thankfully, Pres Truman put the US, and the West, over his own reelection and demonstrated leadership.

The Berlin Airlift was also the story of the "candy drops" for children.  It showed the valor and heart of the pilots who flew these dangerous missions:
"In the beginning of the candy drops, Halverson used his own weekly candy ration. Soon the other pilots and support staff started giving their candy and gum and their handkerchiefs. The project grew so big that his old army base also began to contribute candy and handkerchiefs. The city of Mobile, Alabama, formed a drive to request help. Soon, candy and handkerchiefs from around the country began arriving for the pilots to drop. One week, Lieutenant Halverson flew 368 pounds of candy and fifty pounds of handkerchiefs from America back with him in his C-54 airplane that he had brought to the states for maintenance work."
Overall, a great day to recall presidential leadership and to remember the men who carried out these missions.  

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Happy # 51 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.

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.



Wednesday, June 25, 2025

New York elections, Trump at NATO plus more


New York elections.  Iran attacks and damage assessment.  Trump at NATO.  France and street needles.  Eisenhower 1942.


The crazy needles of France

The crazy needles of France: Back in my younger days, my parents loved a song by Les Baxter,
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A word about June 25


25 June Calendar Icon On White Background Royalty Free Cliparts ...

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.  

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.

Happy # 80 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.