Happy Halloween and political thoughts

Happy Halloween, attacks against Mrs. Vance, Schumer not endorsing yet and SNAP stops this weekend.

Sometimes it’s hard to be a (liberal) woman

Sometimes it’s hard to be a (liberal) woman: Where did all those nice women go?  I mean those nice liberal women who disagreed with you, but never lost their class or femininity.  I mean those ladies who disagreed with a politician, but didn’t say outrageous things about a….

Click to read:

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/10/sometimes_it_s_hard_to_be_a_liberal_woman.html

So you want to understand why liberal women are turning off men? Just check out these two, and many others, and you’ll understand why.

Sometimes it’s hard to be a (liberal) woman - American Thinker https://t.co/HY9fTJOdeC

— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) October 31, 2025

Cubans and Halloween

As a Cuban American, I WILL NOT be offended if you dress up as Ricky Ricardo for Halloween…….we Cubans who grew up in the US think he’s hilarious and speaks funny too……enjoy it!

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Still the best Halloween song after all these years!

My sons don't "trick or treat" anymore but it's still great to see the next generation with their costumes knocking on your door.

To say the least, Halloween is a great excuse for us adults to eat those chocolate treats.    I've had my share of "treats" over the years. 

Over time, we've seen movies, TV specials and have heard songs about Halloween.   I guess that The Charlie Brown special is my favorite.  The Disney stuff is usually good.  I don't care much for the "Friday 13th" movies.  They're a bit too scary for me!

Halloween song?  My favorite, and # 1 after all of these years, is Bobby Pickett's "Monster Mash".   It gets a lot of airplay every year:

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No lettuce or spinach this Halloween

It's been a tough year for mothers and spinach!

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Happy Halloween!

Our boys have grown up and left home.....so we've been out of the "trick or treat" business for a few years.   However, we still enjoy all of those kids coming to our door looking for candy.

Happy Halloween. Enjoy your day!

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Happy Halloween: Our first Halloween in the US many years ago

(My new American Thinker post)

Another Halloween and another time to remember our first Halloween in the U.S.  Back in Cuba, it was "El Dia de los Santos" or All Saints Day on November 1st.  Of course, it was a "day of obligation" or don't forget the mass today.  And there was no candy on All Saints Day!  

We had been in the U.S. about six weeks when Halloween came up on the calendar in 1964.  My Uncle Orlando and family told us about the night.  They suggested wearing a costume, walk around and say “trick or treat” when standing at the door.  

We followed his advice and got lots of candy, especially the lady in the neighborhood who made the brownies that reminded us of the Cuban chocolate cake we had before food shortages and rationing spoiled everything in the island.

Our mother came along to help our little sister who was dressed up as Cinderella. My brother and I went as cowboys.  It was a wonderful night. My favorite part of Halloween is hearing my mother say “trick or treat.”  It sounded a lot like “tree ka tree.” And explaining to her why there were so many “calabazas” or pumpkins.

So many Halloweens have come and gone since that night in 1964.  Things changed and then it was our sons' turn to dress up as Indians or should I say indigenous people so no one is offended.  Another year it was Dallas Cowboys about to play the Washington Redskins, another thing of the past. Or one year they just took off with their friends and came home with lots of bags full of everything.  Of course, everyone remembers the morning after when all that chocolate had kids saying that they couldn't go to school because their stomachs were upset.

Today, our Halloween is hearing about the little grandchildren going "trick treating" and watching videos and photos by phone.  Last but not least, we have candy ready in case the new generation knocks on the door.

Nothing will replace that first Halloween and especially explaining so many things to our mother who was proud of my sister's dress and had no clue of what the holiday was about.

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Our Halloween 2019 show with Leslie Eastman

Guest: Leslie Eastman, contributor to Legal Insurrection.......we will look at the big stories of the day. and other stories....

 

Listen to "Our Halloween 2019 show with Leslie Eastman" on Spreaker.

Our 2015 Halloween show with Leslie Eastman & Daisy Viktoria.

2015: Our annual Halloween show with Leslie Eastman & Daisy Viktoria.... 

 

 

Listen to "Our annual Halloween show with Leslie Eastman & Daisy Viktoria" on Spreaker.

The shutdown and elections

Unions and newspaper talking against the shutdown; Elections next Tuesday and what will happen plus Toronto 1 win away from winning the World Series.

Getting stuck on a Mexican highway

Getting stuck on a Mexican highway: Imagine returning home from your vacation, car full of kids anxious to get home.  Or maybe taking a bus to your next destination.  And then, suddenly, the highway is blocked and you spend a whole day wondering what comes next. Well, this...

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https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/10/getting_stuck_on_a_mexican_highway.html

Happy # 90 Jim Perry

We remember Jim Perry, who was born on this day in 1935.

Jim Perry was the other good pitcher in the family.  His brother is Hall of Famer Gaylord Perry.

Jim broke with the Indians in 1959 and won 18 in his second year.   He was traded to Minnesota in 1963 and that's where he won the 1970 AL Cy Young:  24-12 with a 3.04 ERA.

Perry retired with 215 wins and a 3.45 ERA.   He was a very good pitcher.     

 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.

2016: What radio show would Orson Wells do about this election?

(My new American Thinker post)

On October 30, 1938, millions of Americans had their dinner and sat down to listen to the radio. It turned out to be a rather unusual Halloween night:

Sunday evening in 1938 was prime-time in the golden age of radio, and millions of Americans had their radios turned on. But most of these Americans were listening to ventriloquist Edgar Bergen and his dummy “Charlie McCarthy” on NBC and only turned to CBS at 8:12 p.m. after the comedy sketch ended and a little-known singer went on. By then, the story of the Martian invasion was well underway.

Welles introduced his radio play with a spoken introduction, followed by an announcer reading a weather report. Then, seemingly abandoning the storyline, the announcer took listeners to “the Meridian Room in the Hotel Park Plaza in downtown New York, where you will be entertained by the music of Ramon Raquello and his orchestra.” …  An announcer broke in to report that “Professor Farrell of the Mount Jenning Observatory” had detected explosions on the planet Mars. Then the dance music came back on, followed by another interruption in which listeners were informed that a large meteor had crashed into a farmer’s field in Grovers Mills, New Jersey.

Soon, an announcer was at the crash site describing a Martian emerging from a large metallic cylinder. “Good heavens,” he declared, “something’s wriggling out of the shadow like a gray snake. Now here’s another and another one and another one. They look like tentacles to me … I can see the thing’s body now. It’s large, large as a bear. It glistens like wet leather.” But that face, it… it … ladies and gentlemen, it’s indescribable…”

The Martians mounted walking war machines and fired “heat-ray” weapons at the puny humans gathered around the crash site. They annihilated a force of 7,000 National Guardsman, and after being attacked by artillery and bombers the Martians released a poisonous gas into the air. Soon “Martian cylinders” landed in Chicago and St. Louis. The radio play was extremely realistic, with Welles employing sophisticated sound effects and his actors doing an excellent job portraying terrified announcers and other characters.

They say that a million people fell for it.

Maybe a 2016 version of Orson Welles could do a radio show about a presidential candidate who used a private server as Secretary of State.    

Then he can tell us about the lady’s assistant who is married to a rather bizarre fellow addicted to sending strange texts to young women.    

And the climax of the story is when the FBI discovers that the bizarre fellow had classified information in his laptop. 

Wonder if any radio producer would buy that story? My guess is that that they would reject it on the grounds that they don’t think any candidate for president would be that stupid.

Orson, where are you when we need you?

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We remember John Adams (1735-1826)

We remember John Adams, who was born on this day in 1835.

This is what John Adams wrote to Abigail about July 4th:

"I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival.

It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty.

It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."

The HBO series is great.   Check it out.

It is a great story about the making of the US.   It is also a great story about a wonderful couple, John and Abigail Adams.

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We remember Agustin Lara (1897-1970)

Like so many of you, I grew up listening to Eydie Gorme & Los Panchos singing many of Agustin Lara’s songs.   

One of those tunes was “Noche de ronda” and those great lyrics: “Luna que se quiebra sobre la tiniebla de mi soledad adonde vas….”

I can still recall my grandmother rocking on her favorite chair and humming one of Lara’s songs. (She once told me that Lara was from Veracruz and then showed me the location on the map!)

We remember that Agustin Lara was born on this day in 1897. I can’t confirm whether he was born in 1897 or 1900…..or October 1st or 30th!  I have seen both dates in my research!  So let’s go with October 30th.. He know that he died in 1970.

Lara was, and continues to be, my favorite Mexican composer.   I’m not an expert on Mexican music.   Yet, I can’t think of any other Mexican who comes close to writing words & music like Lara.

We remember Lara with two of my favorite compositions: “Solamente una vez“, “Farolito” and the wonderful “Noche de Ronda“. 

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.

October 30, 1938: Orson Wells and "The War of the worlds" radio show.

Years ago, Sunday night was radio prime time.  

Enter Orson Wells.    

On Sunday, October 30, 1038 at 8 p.m, a voice announced: 

“The Columbia Broadcasting System and its affiliated stations present Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater on the air in ‘War of the Worlds’ by H.G. Wells.”

The broadcast was so good that people were in panic from coast to coast.  In other words, many really believed that we were being invaded by aliens.

Let me recommend that you check out the whole show.   It is one of the finest audio programs ever made.  

I can understand why so many people bought into the Martian attack.   Fantastic!    

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Happy # 86 Grace Slick

We say happy birthday to Grace Slick.  She was born Grace Barnett Wing in Illinois on this day in 1939.

“Somebody to love” was the first big hit by “Jefferson Airplane“, a California band. The lead singer was Gracie Slick.    This band eventually became “Jefferson Starship“.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).

The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda

Guest:  Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda...President Trump's successful trip to Japan and South Korea; Federal union vs Democrats on shutdown; NY City election update; Israel takes action plus other stories......

The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda

 

Guest:  Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda...President Trump's successful trip to Japan and South Korea; Federal union vs Democrats on shutdown; NY City election update; Israel takes action plus other stories......

click to listen:

Listen to "The week in review with Bill Katz the editor of Urgent Agenda" on Spreaker.

That much spent on food stamps?

That much spent on food stamps?: Put me down as someone who had no idea that

Click to read:

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/10/that_much_spent_on_food_stamps.html

Our family came here many years ago. We did not rely on food stamps because my father had two jobs and my mom helped out by taking care of a few babies.

That much spent on food stamps? - American Thinker https://t.co/nG2pgRur7P

— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) October 29, 2025

My first post from 2004: Bush will win

(This is my first post from the blog)

Bush will win.

The popular vote will be 52-47. It may be closer, such as 50-49, if Kerry wins California and New York by over 15 points.

New Jersey is a Bush surprise. Gore won NJ by over 15 points!

Add Pennsylvania to that surprise list.

The electoral college will put Bush at around 300 votes.

P.S. The final vote was 51-48% and President Bush got 286 Electoral votes.    So I was pretty close!

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.

2011 and that series still hurts!

In every way, this one hurts a lot more than the 2010 loss to San Francisco.  However, there were many similarities between the two losses.

First, the Rangers were a better team.  YES YES!!

Second, the 2010 Giants and 2011 were both "teams of destiny", or teams on a run to end the season.  They were wild card teams that got hot and played perfect baseball for 6 weeks.

I don't know what else to say.  How do you explain game 6? 

We congratulate St Louis because they won the series.  Nevertheless, I still think that Texas was a better team on paper.

Let's hope that the Rangers' fans don't get too disillusioned with their team.  I really believe that they will win one down the road.

 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.

Public sector unions vs shutdown, Food stamps explosion & Lady Liberty 1836

Public sector unions vs shutdown; Food stamps explosion; Argentina election; 18-innings in LA and we remember Lady Liberty 1886.

Nobody wants to go back in Argentina

Nobody wants to go back in Argentina: (See also, “Argentina’s voters give socialism the heave-ho” by Monica Showalter.) It took a bit too long for the numbers to be released but it was worth the wait. Maybe the best explanation for the Argentine results comes from…

Click to read:

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/10/nobody_wants_to_go_back_in_argentina.html

Nobody wants to go back in Argentina — President Milei's new political strength will allow him to push through reforms. https://t.co/zmxn3FzHUX

— American Thinker (@AmericanThinker) October 28, 2025

1886: Another anniversary of The Statue of Liberty

We remember another anniversary of The Statue of Liberty.   

Lady Liberty, as we affectionately call her, was dedicated by President Grover Cleveland on this day in 1886.  It is one of the country's great landmarks.     

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October 28, 2011: Texas vs St. Louis and that painful Game 7

Who can forget?   I think that all of us know how David Murphy felt watching the other guys celebrate the last out of the 2011 World Series. 

What was the turning point of game 7?  It was Molina walking on a 3-2 pitch that was simply too close to take.   It kept a rally going and it was over after that.

Don't get me wrong.  I think that the Cardinals won fair and square.  They got the clutch hits and we didn't.  They threw strikes and our guys didn't.  They manufactured runs and we didn't.

It was a bad night for Rangers' fans, specially the agony of Game 6 the night before.

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Argentina elections, Trump travels and Obama-Care needs changes

Argentina elections, Trump travels and Obama-Care needs changes

Reliable catastrophic health care plans

Reliable catastrophic health care plans: Remember those good old days before ObamaCare? Remember when a lot of people, yours truly included, bought plans to protect us from major expenses, not routine trips to the doctor? At one point, we had a high-deductible family plan where we paid….

Click to read:

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/10/reliable_catastrophic_health_care_plans.html

Remember those good old days before ObamaCare? Remember when a lot of people, yours truly included, bought plans to protect us from major expenses, not routine trips to the doctor? At one point, we had a high-deductible family plan where we paid minor stuff out of pocket but had…

— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) October 27, 2025

1991 and probably the best game 7 of our generation

As I recall, nobody picked Minnesota and Atlanta to meet in the 1991 World Series.   

The Twins had won in 1987 and came back for another title.   

The Braves had struggled in the 1980's and started their amazing run of 14 consecutive divisional titles under Bobby Cox.

Game 7 featured veteran Jack Morris and young John Smoltz.    

The game was 0-0 after 9 innings.   The Twins finally scored in the bottom of the 10th and won 1-0.

It was a great game and probably one of the very best World Series game ever.

 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.

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Reagan’s words and our family

Game 6 of 2011 Series: What happened Nelson?

   

We remember one of the craziest games in baseball history.    I am talking about game 6 of the 2011 World Series. The Rangers went into the bottom of the 9th with a 2 run lead.   The Cardinals tied the game when Nelson Cruz missed a fly ball.     

To be fair, we should add that Cruz was one of the big reasons that Texas was in the Series.

Josh Hamilton hit a 2-run homer in the top of the 10th.    However, the Cardinals came back again.

It finally ended in the bottom of the 12th when Freese hit a walk off HR.

Texas was within a strike in the 9th and 10th and could not close it.    It still hurts!

 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 1983: Quite a month for President Reagan

We remember President Ronald Reagan as a rather consequential president. Let’s remember the events of this week in 1983.

First, a terror bombing in Beirut killed over a hundred U.S. Marines.   

President Reagan was getting ready for reelection and talking about the economic recovery underway. However, he had to deal with a major terrorist attack in Beirut when a suicide bomber drove a truck filled with 2,000 pounds of explosives into a U.S. Marine base at the international airport:   

The explosion killed 220 Marines, 18 sailors and three soldiers. 

A few minutes after that bomb went off, a second bomber drove into the basement of the nearby French paratroopers’ barracks, killing 58 more people.  

Four months after the bombing, American forces left Lebanon without retaliating.

It was a terrible story and one of the early signs of terrorism. Many criticized President Reagan for not retaliating, but I am not exactly sure what response could have followed this attack.

A few days later, President Reagan invaded Grenada. It turned out to be a major victory against Fidel Castro that prevented the USSR from having another strategic piece of real estate.   

Grenada was a small island where some U.S. citizens were attending medical school. Most people had never heard of Grenada or the Cuban efforts to turn the island into a communist beachhead, an important runway for Soviet MiGs.

However, the Reagan administration had their eye on Grenada for some time. They knew the strategic importance of Grenada and its proximity to the Panama Canal.    

We learned a lot that week about President Reagan and how foreign policy can force itself on the agenda. In Beirut, we were introduced to the type of terrorism that we saw eventually on 9/11. In Grenada, we saw President Reagan as the competent leader of the free world, or a man unwilling to let the USSR gain a strategic foothold over here.

It was quite a week for President Reagan and the U.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.

1970: "Jesus Christ Superstar" on Broadway

It took me a while to accept the idea of a show named "Jesus Christ Superstar" but I eventually did.   

The composers were Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.   The show was very successful on Broadway.  Later, they made it into a movie.

The soundtrack was very popular but I don't remember any songs other than "I don't know how to love him" by Yvonne Elliman.     It was also recorded later by Helen Reddy.

 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.

A chat with George Rodriguez, South Texas conservative...

Guest: George Rodriguez, South Texas conservative....The border water dispute between the US and Mexico..Senator Crockett?....Plus other stories.....

You left the water runnin’ now

You left the water runnin’ now: Don’t look now, but a water crisis is brewing on the border. Yes, water, as in “agua.” We got the “people crossing” crisis under control. Illegal immigration at the border is under control. Water, well, that’s a…

Click to read:

https://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2025/10/you_left_the_water_runnin_now.html

Don’t look now, but a water crisis is brewing on the border. Yes, water, as in “agua.” We got the “people crossing” crisis under control. Illegal immigration at the border is under control. Water, well, that’s a different story.

You left the water runnin’ now - American Thinker…

— Silvio Canto. Jr. (@silvio_canto) October 26, 2025

1986: Bill Buckner, great player but a bad moment in game 6

On this day in 1986, the Boston Red Sox were one out away from winning the World Series.     

And then the unthinkable happened when a routine ground ball went between Bill Buckner's legs.   

It was a case of very bad luck for a great player like Buckner.   

Bill Buckner hit .289 with 2,715 hits and a .408 on-base average.   In other words, there was a lot more to his career than missing that ground ball in game 6 of the 1986 World Series.  

He was a tough out, a great competitor and the kind of guy that you wanted on your team.  

Tough day for a great major league player.

  

 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.

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2001: President Bush signed The Patriot Act

It's amazing but The Patriot Act has been around since 2001:

"On this day in 2001, President George W. Bush signs the Patriot Act, an anti-terrorism law drawn up in response to the attacks on the Pentagon and World Trade Center onSeptember 11, 2001.The USA PATRIOT Act, as it is officially known, is an acronym for "Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism." Bush hoped the bipartisan legislation would empower law enforcement and intelligence agencies to prevent future terrorist attacks on American soil."

It's always tough in an open society to give this much power to the state.   However, I think that The Patriot Act has protected us and that was its original intent.  

 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.