September 2006: Can I go to Caracas and say all of this about Chavez?

A post from September 2008:

We just saw a good example of why most people would rather live in the US than Venezuela or Iran.

In the US, you can criticize the President without consequence. In Venezuela or Iran....that's another story!

The Iranian president went to a New York news conference and said that US was guilty of ‘hegemony’ and ‘hypocrisy’.

Yet, Ahmedinejad and Chavez would not have allowed anyone to make similar comments about them in Tehran or Caracas.

Freedom matters and that's why so many dictators hate the US.

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We remember Mike Garcia (1923-1986)

We remember Edward Miguel "Mike" Garcia who was born on this day in San Gabriel, California.  He died in 1986.

Mike broke with the Indians in 1948 and won the AL ERA title in 1949 (2.34).    He won 104 games over the next 7 seasons, including a trip to the World Series in 1954.

He retired with 142 wins & 3.27 ERA.   Garcia pitched for the legendary 1954 Cleveland team that won 111 games but was swept by the Giants in the World Series.

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2011 post: Will Jackson & Sharpton call on stores to stop selling images of that racist named Che?

Fausta Wertz of Fausta's Blog alerted me to the latest article about Che Guevara, the leftist folk hero: Che's Secret Diary

It turns out that Che, the icon of so many in the left, had a bit of a "diversity" problem:

"Reading The African Dream, it's easy to understand Debray's conviction.  

Guevara casts serious doubts on the possibility of anything like world revolution. 

Everything went wrong, and the racial politics were hardly progressive.

The Congolese had decided that Guevara should not be viewed as the leader of the Cuban-Congolese forces, but rather as a Cuban "councilor," so it would not appear that a white man was giving them orders.

After discovering that so many of the African fighters were incompetent, Guevara took charge anyway, breeding bad blood.  He had ongoing problems, too, with his black Cubans acting superior to and contemptuous of the native Congolese.

As for igniting revolutionary fervor among people he believed would lie -- and lie preposterously -- at the least provocation, Guevara found it just impossible.

The beloved revolutionary icon sounds pretty much like an old-fashioned racist when it comes to evaluating his black brothers in arms."

Of course, this is not a shock to those of us who knew the real Che.   I don't mean to break your leftist heart but Che was not at all like the figure that we've seen idolized in movies or rallies.

Yes, it's true that a younger Che took a motorcycle trip through the continent.  So what?  At the end of the day, Che is a killer no  matter how much leftist movie makers want to present him as some romantic figure out to change the world!  

Furthermore, Che's ideas failed miserably in Cuba.  His revolution was a disaster in Bolivia.  Che only succeeds in the minds of the corrupt left or the many idiots who wear his T-shirts thinking that he is Jim Morrison of The Doors or some guy who played drums for The Grateful Dead.

We've discussed Che with Humberto Fontova, Carlos Eire and others on our show.  You can read The Babalu Blog for more "historically correct posts" about Che, a man who should be known as a criminal rather than some kind of revolutionary who fought for the common man.

Is Rev Sharpton going to organize a "rally" in front of one of those stores that sell "Che" shirts?  He should!  He should consult with Rev Jackson and demand that all of those stores stop promoting "racism" by selling Che T-shirts!

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November 1982: We remember Lech Walesa

Today, we recall Lech Walesa, the man who became the face of freedom and anti-communism in 1980's Poland and who led the workers against the Polish state.  On this in 1982, he was released from jail.

Eventually, he was elected president of Poland.  

He was a hero, a freedom fighter and a man who challenged Soviet repression. 

It takes a lot of courage to stand up to communist oppression and these men and women did it many years ago. 

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The late President Ford made history in 2006

On November 14, 2006, President Gerald R. Ford became the oldest former president in U.S. history.   At 93 years and 4 months, he overtook Ronald Reagan, who previously held this distinction.

He died a month later.    Well done Pres. Ford.

 P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, click send drop a dime here.

Is there really a summer place called "Temma Harbour"?

Mary Hopkin was one of the first recording stars who scored big hits on the Beatles' Apple label!

I remember "Temma Harbour".  It was a song about a summer paradise that sounded awfully good on that Apple Records 45 rpm single that I used to play.

This week, I was driving around Dallas and I heard that song again. 

It reminded me of a question that I never got an answer to: Is Temma Harbour a real place in the planet?  

Is there such a beautiful spot?  What place was Mary Hopkin singing about?

I don't know the answer but spending a weekend in Temma Harbour sounds great when our afternoon temperatures go over 100!

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November 2006: A word about Nathan Aguirre's funeral

Our community came together yesterday and said goodbye to Nathan Aguirre. 

As I wrote before, Nathan was a very popular young man who died in Iraq.

The church was full. The streets were full of school children and others. It was a wonderful sight.

Remember him on Memorial Day.

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1938: The Nazis launched Kristallnacht

On this day in 1938, the Nazis launched Kristallnacht.   For a couple of days, windows of Jewish-owned establishments were smashed, killing 100 and destroying businesses, synagogues, homes, schools and graveyards.   It was one of the ugliest incidents of the 20th century.

Back in September 2010, we spoke with Max Glauben.  Max is a Holocaust survivor and related great stories about that terrible moment in world history.

Click here for the show..................

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1976: Jim Palmer won 3rd Cy Young in 4 years

On this day in 1976,  Jim Palmer won his 3rd Cy Young Award in 4 years.    He was just awesome during that stretch.

Palmer won 268 and was selected to the Hall of Fame in 1990.

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).  If you like our posts, click send drop a dime here.

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2016 like 1896? A new book by Karl Rove

Love or hate him, Karl Rove was born to analyze politics.   You can see him on Fox News and he writes a weekly column at The Wall Street Journal.

His new book is "The triumph of William McKinley" is about the election of 1896.   Rove believes that our politics today resembles that of 1896.

Let's read the book!

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