Guest: Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda. The election in New York City specially after the killing of a police officer and 4 more people. President Trump trade dea;s. Is there a rift between US and Israel over Gaza? The Russia hoax gets more interesting plus more stories.
Thursday, July 31, 2025
The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda
Guest: Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda. The election in New York City specially after the killing of a police officer and 4 more people. President Trump trade dea;s. Is there a rift between US and Israel over Gaza? The Russia hoax gets more interesting plus more stories.
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Listen to "The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda" on Spreaker.
Keep Jasmine around
Keep Jasmine around: As you know, Texas is doing some gerrymandering these days. Yes, our GOP state legislature has decided to follow the Democrats' example in Illinois and Maryland and draw a different map.
Well done, Texas. As the first draft of the map….
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Keep Jasmine around - American Thinker https://t.co/bvQnpAQ3Sn
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) July 31, 2025
Happy # 80 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.
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.
Read a book by Milton Friedman (1912-2006) this summer
We would always recommend a Friedman book for summer reading. So check out his page and look at getting one for the summer. Here is a good one to start with:
We remember Milton Friedman (1912-2006)
My guess is that most of you read "Free to choose" or watched the TV series. Or, maybe you are familiar with Dr Friedman's work in Chile, the story of "The Chicago Boys" who turned that South American country into one of the best economies in the world.
Milton Friedman was born in 1912 and died in 2006. Rose, his devoted wife, research partner and companion of many years, died in 2009. They were always together and that was great too.
Stephen Moore of the WSJ wrote a great column about the life & times of Mr Friedman. I love Mr. Friedman's advice just before he died:
"I remember asking Milton, a year or so before his death, during one of our semiannual dinners in downtown San Francisco: What can we do to make America more prosperous? "Three things," he replied instantly. "Promote free trade, school choice for all children, and cut government spending."How much should we cut? "As much as possible.""
Thank you Mr. Friedman!
The incredible life of Milton Friedman (1912-2006)
Who are the most consequential men of the last 50 years? Let me suggest President Reagan, Pope John Paul II and Dwight Eisenhower, the World War II general and then the consequential 34th President.
How about Milton Friedman, the greatest economist of our generation?
Friedman died in 2006. He was born on this day in 1912. We still miss him.
My Milton Friedman memories go back to college and the 1980 Reagan campaign.
First, he wrote that great book "Free to choose". It became a TV series and many of us learned a lot by watching it.
Second, he was the leader of the "Chicago Boys" who fixed Chile after Pinochet overthrew Allende.
Friedman was a consequential man. He left us a lot of books, essays. documentaries and a wonderful foundation for future generations!
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.
Words of wisdom from Milton Friedman (1912-2006)
On taxes:
"To summarize, deficits are bad--but not because they necessarily raise interest rates. They are bad because they encourage political irresponsibility. They enable our representatives in Washington to buy votes at our expense without having to vote explicitly for taxes to finance the largesse. The result is a bigger government and a poorer nation. That is why I favor a constitutional amendment requiring Congress to balance the budget and limit taxation." (from "The Taxes Called Deficits," April 24, 1984)On freedom:
"It is important to emphasize that economic arrangements play a dual role in the promotion of a free society. On the one hand, "freedom" in economic arrangements itself a component of freedom broadly understood, so "economic freedom" is an end in itself to a believer in freedom. In the second place, economic freedom is also an indispensable means toward the achievement of political freedom. . . . " (from "Capitalism and Freedom: Why and How the Two Ideas Are Mutually Dependent," May 17, 1961)The flat tax:
"The only way we are ever likely to get it is if there is a drive for a constitutional convention to repeal the 16th Amendment (which gives Congress the power to tax income) and replace it with one mandating a flat-rate tax. However, I regret that that is not an immediate prospect." (from "Why a Flat Tax Is Not Politically Feasible," March 30, 1995)Let me say it again. Milton Friedman was a consequential voice in promoting freedom and free markets.
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 # 71 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?
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 Curt Gowdy (1919-2006)
We remember Curt Gowdy who was born in Wyoming on this day in 1919.
A few days ago, I caught an audio clip of Curt Gowdy doing a World Series game many years ago. What a treat to hear that voice again!
Most of us grew up watching the NBC Saturday afternoon baseball game of the week and listening to Gowdy's voice. I recall many World Series games, too. He was also the voice of the Super Bowl and the famous Heidi game, when NBC cut off the Jets-Raiders game to broadcast the Disney movie.
In '84, Gowdy was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1984. Curt Gowdy died in 2006. He was a gem calling baseball and football.
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.
July 31, 1990: Nolan Ryan won # 300!
Where did the years go? Nolan Ryan won # 300 on his second try in Milwaukee.
As I recall from the TV broadcast, Ryan got a huge ovation when he left the game in the 7th inning. It was a classy move by the Brewers' fans. He added no-hitter # 7 to his resume the next season!
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.
1978: Pete Rose reached # 44
Willie Keeler had 44 in 1897-98 but foul balls didn't count as strikes.
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Tags: Pete Rose reaches # 44 To share or post to your site, click on "Post Link". Please mention / link to the My View by Silvio Canto, Jr. Thanks!
Wednesday, July 30, 2025
No Kamala in '26 plus no change in rates and Texas maps
Former VP Harris not running for governor of California. No cut in interest rates. Texas new map for midterms. Obama and the Russia hoax "In God we trust" 1956 President Eisenhower.
Did Trump's victory hurt Obama's feelings?
Did Trump's victory hurt Obama's feelings?: Back in 2016, I remember reading an analysis that President Obama's two terms had left the Democrats in bad shape. In other words, he started in 2009 with huge majorities and left town with the GOP in charge of the U.S. Senate and House. It was…
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Did Trump's victory hurt Obama's feelings? - American Thinker https://t.co/wdPwtwSSNh
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) July 30, 2025
"In God we trust" signed into law in 1956
President Eisenhower made it legal in 1956:
"On this day in 1956, two years after pushing to have the phrase “under God” inserted into the pledge of allegiance, President Dwight D. Eisenhower signs a law officially declaring “In God We Trust” to be the nation’s official motto. The law, P.L. 84-140, also mandated that the phrase be printed on all American paper currency. The phrase had been placed on U.S. coins since the Civil War when, according to the historical association of the United States Treasury, religious sentiment reached a peak."It was a good day for the US.
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 # 84 Paul Anka, great vocalist and songwriter!
Wonder how many people know that Paul Anka was born in Canada? He was born on this day in 1941. 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.
Tuesday, July 29, 2025
Trump making deals and Democrats lost plus other stories
Shooting in NYC, Trade deals with Japan & EU, Trump nominees, Redistricting in Texas, Obama and the Russia hoax plus we remember Ryan Sandberg.
Senator Cornyn wants a special counsel
Senator Cornyn wants a special counsel: Senator Cornyn is facing a major primary challenge next March. His opponent, the current A.G., Ken Paxton, keeps calling the senator a RINO and hoping to ride President Trump’s popularity in Texas all the way to the U.S. Senate. ...
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The latest about this heavyweight of a primary is that Senator Cornyn wants a special counsel
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) July 29, 2025
Senator Cornyn wants a special counsel - American Thinker https://t.co/6XHU39hWBY
1958: "La violetera" with Sara Montiel
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To be honest, I didn't like this movie the first time around. Years later, I saw it again and appreciated Sara Montiel's voice and acting skills.
"La Violetera" was released in 1958.
Sara died in 2013 and left behind quite a legacy of movies and recording, including "Vera Cruz" (1955) with Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster and "Run of the Arrow" (1957) with Rod Steiger.
It's a nice movie.
Sara died in 2013 and left behind quite a legacy of movies and recording, including "Vera Cruz" (1955) with Gary Cooper and Burt Lancaster and "Run of the Arrow" (1957) with Rod Steiger.
It's a nice movie.
P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk). If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column.
Monday, July 28, 2025
Dems: How low can you go?
Dems: How low can you go?: Chubby Checker wasn’t thinking about the Democrats when he sang “how low can you go,” but it sure fits the state of the party today.
The party has no ideas or leaders. It reminds me of a time when I was watching a baseball game…
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Chubby Checker wasn’t thinking about the Democrats when he sang “how low can you go,” but it sure fits the state of the party today.
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) July 28, 2025
Dems: How low can you go? - American Thinker https://t.co/ODM9Hh22fH
July 28, 1994: Kenny Rogers and the perfect game in Arlington
As they say, I heard it on the radio! Kenny Rogers pitched a perfect game before a sellout crowd at the ballpark in Arlington. He beat the Angels with one great catch by Rusty Greer in center field.
Kenny played with Texas, New York Yankees, Oakland, New York Mets, back to Texas and then Detroit. He won 219 games and 133 of those were with Texas.
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.
July 28 1991: Dennis Martinez and a perfect game
Where did so many years go? Dennis Martinez was perfect on this day in 1991.
Dennis was born in Nicaragua and came up in the Orioles’ farm system in 1976.
Before signing with Baltimore, Dennis caught the eyes of scouts with masterful pitching against Cuba and the US in 1974. He beat the US, 1-0, pitching 10 innings. Then he beat Cuba, 4-3, by throwing 7 strong innings.
Dennis won 108 games with Baltimore, including playing in the 1979 and 1983 World Series. In 1987, he was traded to Montreal and that was really the prime of his career, including an ERA title and the aforementioned perfect game.
Dennis finished with 245 wins and a 3.70 ERA in 3,999 innings!
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 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.
We remember Jackie Kennedy (1929-1994)
Jacqueline Bouvier was born in New York on this day in 1929.
We remember her as the very elegant First Lady Jackie Kennedy.
She died in 1994.
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.
Sunday, July 27, 2025
Trade deals and more
The US finalized trade deals with Japan and the European Union. The Democrats are angry with the GOP gerrymandering red states or doing the same thing they’ve done in blue states. The latest WSJ poll tells us that voters trust the GOP more on issues.
We learned gerrymandering from Democrats
We learned gerrymandering from Democrats: As you may have heard, the Texas legislature is looking at redistricting. The Dems are not happy and will likely refer to Governor Abbott as a dictator. I’m sure that they will bring up that Hitler “gerrymandered” Germany.
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Yes, it’s hard to feel sympathy for hypocrites. In other words, the people who mastered gerrymandering don’t like to be gerrymandered.
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) July 27, 2025
We learned gerrymandering from Democrats - American Thinker https://t.co/MXZzg3GDGD
Happy # 83 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.
July 27, 1940: Hello Bugs Bunny
We take a minute today to say happy birthday to Bugs Bunny:
“The Warner Bros. icon everybody knows and loves first appeared on July 27, 1940 in “Wild Hare,” a cartoon short directed by Tex Avery. The clip features a wily Bugs Bunny outsmarting Elmer Fudd, who hunts for a “silly wabbit” in vain. Warner Bros. made several rabbit cartoons in earlier years, but they were not the same as the distinctive cotton-tailed “Bugs” featured in July of 1940.Bugs Bunny was an “instant star,” He became one of the world’s best-known cartoon characters, starring in more than 175 films, receiving three Oscar nominations, one Academy Award, and appearing in comic books, TV specials, and video games, as Parade Magazine reported.”
Happy birthday to the most famous rabbit of the 20th century!
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.
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 # 76 Maureen McGovern
(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 Maureen for "Morning after" or the theme song of the movie "The Poseidon Adventure". Remember the one about the cruise ship that flipped over in the middle of the ocean?
Scary movie and a nice pop song by Maureen McGovern.
It was the a big hit in the summer of 1973! She did not have another Top 20 until "Different worlds" in 1979, a song that reminds me of "The love boat" theme song.
Click here for "Morning After":
Scary movie and a nice pop song by Maureen McGovern.
It was the a big hit in the summer of 1973! She did not have another Top 20 until "Different worlds" in 1979, a song that reminds me of "The love boat" theme song.
Click here for "Morning After":
"There's got to be a morning after
If we can hold on through the night
We have a chance to find the sunshine
Let's keep on lookin' for the light
Oh, can't you see the morning after
It's waiting right outside the storm
Why don't we cross the bridge together
And find a place that's safe and warm
It's not too late, we should be giving
Only with love can we climb
It's not too late, not while we're living
Let's put our hands out in time
There's got to be a morning after
We're moving closer to the shore
I know we'll be there by tomorrow
And we'll escape the darkness
We won't be searchin' any more
There's got to be a morning after
(There's got to be a morning after)
There's got to be a morning after..."
Saturday, July 26, 2025
It was horrible for the country
It was horrible for the country: Back in 2017–18, it was “Russia, Russia, Russia.” Today, it’s “hoax, hoax, hoax.” For me, the worst part of the story is that it hurt the country incredibly. It poisoned the well and we are still ...
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It was horrible for the country - American Thinker https://t.co/C1OJ1TIZCJ
— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) July 26, 2025
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.
July 26, 1953 turned out to be an ugly day for Cuba
Growing up in a Cuban-American home acquainted me with a lot of the island of Cuba's history.
I guess that's normal in immigrant homes, but my parents were the type committed to teaching us how communism destroyed what they lovingly called "la patria" or homeland.
Conversations at our family dinners were always about Cuba. My parents would often warn us about leftists by saying "cuidado" or "be careful" because they always tell you what you want to hear.
Every time a Third World politician came on TV preaching "injustice," my parents would say one of their favorite lines about the movie that they saw already and didn't end well.
Once a year, the topic would be about what they would refer to as Moncada. On this day, July 26, 1953, Fidel Castro and his followers attacked the Moncada Barracks in eastern Cuba.
The attack was a disaster since more than 60 of the 185 "rebels" involved were killed. Castro and the survivors escaped and were eventually discovered and captured. Castro was tried a few months later and sentenced to fifteen years in prison. He defended himself and turned it into a book.
While imprisoned on Isla de Pinos, he wrote letters and continued to plot the Batista regime’s overthrow.
After having served less than two years, he was released in May 1955 due to a general amnesty. After that, he carried on with his "revolution."
My guess is that Batista regretted that amnesty to the end of his life.
Castro left Cuba and went to Mexico, met Che Guevara from Argentina, and the rest is the history that we are all too familiar with.
Our family conversations about Moncada would often try to answer one question: Why did Batista release him?
My parents felt that it was a PR move and a bit naive. At the same time, my father said that no one thought that Castro would harm anyone.
I guess that most people thought that the talk of revolution was finished and the Cuban economy was booming with prosperity.
A few years later, my father said that it would have been better if Batista had left, too, and the country could have been put back on a democratic track.
Today, Cuba is a dictatorship: Thousands of executions, millions have taken flight and no one knows for sure how many died leaving the country in leaky rafts, while many are still sitting in political prisons.
The Castro regime never allowed fair trials, free elections or had a general amnesty to empty the prisons.
In short, Castro devastated a beautiful country and a prosperous island.
What are Cuba’s political prisons like? Read Armando Valladares “Against all Hope”. You will learn all you need to know about the legacy of July 26.
By the way, you will read that Armando spent years in Villa Maristas, or the name of the political prison that used to be the Catholic school that my brother and I went to.
Turning a Catholic school into a political prison to torture political prisoners? What else do you need to know about that regime?
In retrospect, July 26 turned out to be a very bad day for Cuba.
Happy # 82 Mick Jagger
We say happy to Mick Jagger, one of the greats of rock. He was born on this day in 1943.
Mick, along with Keith Richards, turned The Rolling Stones into one of the greatest rock bands ever.
Rolling Stone magazine, no connection to the rock group, has Jagger at # 16 of the top vocalists ever.
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.
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