July 2007: I guess that Alberto Gonzalez told the truth after all!

A post from July 2007:

Of course, I want public officials to be truthful and honest. No one should lie to Congress. At the same time, Congressmen should not play partisan games by setting up perjury traps.

This whole Alberto Gonzalez show is shameful and demonstrates how pathetic the Democrats are:

""You've got an interesting situation when members of Congress, knowing that somebody is constrained by matters of classification, they can ask very broad questions ... they know the person sitting on the other side cannot answer thoroughly in an open session," White House spokesman Tony Snow said." (Democrats accused of sandbagging Gonzales)

The Democrats are playing games. AG Gonzalez is operating in the real world, i.e. terrorists are plotting to blow up one of our cities and kill thousands!

AG Gonzalez can not answer every question in a public session because some of this stuff is confidential.

My guess is that the Dems are overplaying their hand and coming across as a bunch of bullies who just want to get Alberto Gonzalez.

It won't work politically. Beyond that, this kind of "gotcha" politics is poisonous for the country.

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Tom Grieve: 2010 Rangers' Hall of Fame

The Rangers inducted Tom Grieve into the team's Hall of Fame in July 2010.  

Grieve is one of the nice guys in baseball, a good player, team executive and now the TV analyst.

He is also a good man, husband, father and now grandfather.

Congratulations to Tom Grieve!

Wonder what Satchel Paige would say today

Seventy years ago this month, the great Satchel Paige made his major league debut:  

Paige’s contract was bought by Bill Veeck’s Cleveland Indians on July 7, 1948, his 42nd birthday. He made his major league debut two days later, entering in the fifth inning against the St. Louis Browns with the Indians trailing 4-1. He gave up two singles in two innings, striking one man out and inducing one batter to hit into a double play. The Indians lost the game 5-3 in spite of Paige’s contribution. That year Satchel Paige went 6-1 with a solid 2.48 ERA for the World Champion Cleveland Indians.

Wonder how many games Paige would have won had he spent his entire career in the majors? Who knows? My guess is that he would have challenged many of the pitching records, especially complete games and strikeouts. He would have sold out stadium after stadium in a way not seen since Babe Ruth. Paige was as much a showman as a pitcher.

It’s hard to believe today that such a talent was for years not allowed to pitch in the majors because of skin color. Nevertheless, I never saw Paige complain about his fortune.  Instead, he made the most of what he had.

Apart from pitching, Satchel was well known for what he said.   

In this respect, he was like a black Yogi Berra, the other great baseball philosopher.

Allow me to speculate.  What would the great Paige say to young people today?

What would he say to the people who complain about everything rather than take advantage of the opportunities in front of them? It would be something like one of his greatest lines:

“Don’t look back.    Something might be gaining on you.” 

We could use a few more people like Paige around these days.

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Mary Hopkin is 70 today....

Mary Hopkin, the beautiful young woman from Wales who sang so many wonderful songs, was born on this day in 1950.

Mary is best known for "Those were the days", now available in a digital format.  

This is specially good for those who grew up with the scratchy 45!

It was one of the first records released on Apple Records, the company started by The Beatles.

Mary was a beautiful 18-year old woman when she recorded this tune. It quickly became an international best seller.

I loved her voice. Let me confess that I loved her elegant look too! She looked and sounded great!

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.

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We remember Cardinal Mindszenty (1892-1975)

Cardinal Joseph Mindszenty was born on this day in 1892 and died in 1975.  

Along with Pope John Paul II, the late Cardinal is one of my Catholic and anti-communist heroes.

Both men stood up to Hitler and the Soviet Union, the two great evils of the 20th century.

Back in 1949, the new communist Hungary regime convicted him of treason and life imprisonment. 

He was released in 1956 by the reformist government and granted asylum at the US Embassy in Budapest.   

Unfortunately, Warsaw Pact tanks crushed the reforms and The Cardinal was force to stay in the embassy grounds until 1971.   

He was eventually released for poor health and died in the Vienna in 1975.   His remains were returned to Hungary in 1991.

Cardinal Mindszenty’s life was just amazing.  

The Cardinal Mindszenty Foundation continues to be a great source of information about defending the unborn and many family issues.

P.S.  You can listen to my show (Canto Talk).

1972: Hank Aaron signed the biggest contract in baseball

On this day in 1972, the Atlanta Braves made Hank Aaron the best paid baseball player before the season:   a 3 year deal worth around $ 600.000!

A couple of years later, Aaron passed Ruth in the all time HR list.    

He retired with 755 after the 1976 season.

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

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We remember Preacher Roe (1916-2008)

We remember Preacher Roe who was born in Arkansas on this day in 1916.  

Roe broke with the Cardinals in 1938 but did not return to the majors until 1944 with the Pirates.   

His best years were with the Dodgers, 1948-54.    

In 7 seasons with Brooklyn, Roe was 93-37 with an excellent 3.26 ERA plus 74 complete games & 12 shutouts.     

He pitched in 3 World Series against the Yankees:   2-1, 3 complete games, 1 shutout & a 2.54 ERA.     In 1951, Roe was named National League Pitcher of the Year when he won 22 with a 3.04 ERA.

Roe's career totals:  127 wins, 101 complete games and 17 shutouts.

He died in 2008.

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

 

1732: We remember George Washington

We remember another of George Washington's birthdays.

He was so vital to the success of the new American nation.

Our friends at Power Line call him the indispensable man and they are right.  

Washington led an army of colonists and then held together the new constitution by serving as the first president.

He could have been "president for life" or reelected to a 3rd term.  However, he respected the constitution and set the example by walking away from power.

He was indeed the indispensable man to the new nation.  Where would we be today without the work of George Washington?

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

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Memories of going to Lubbock and Buddy Holly's grave

Back in the mid-1990's, I took a business trip to Lubbock, Texas. 

I had a pleasant conversation with the taxi driver about Buddy Holly.  It seems that every 60-something resident of Lubbock knew Buddy Holly. 

Later, we drove to the Holly grave site, which is a popular tourist landmark.

Over the years, I have grown to love Buddy Holly's music. 

His repertoire included high energy rock tunes and some nice ballads. Some of his arrangements, such as "Raining in my heart" were a bit ahead of their time.

Holly was a very influential rocker.  We believe that The Beatles named their group after the Crickets. The Hollies were apparently named after him, too.

His songs have been recorded by The Beatles ("Words of Love"), Peter & Gordon ("True Love Ways") and The Rolling Stones ("Not Fade Away").

Buddy Holly was killed February 3, 1959 in a plane crash.  It inspired Don McClean's "American Pie" and introduced millions of us to the story and the music.

Check out "The Buddy Holly Story", a good movie about his life. 

Last but not least, get a Holly CD and turn up the volume.

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

1971: Apollo 14 took off for the moon

Apollo 14 put the US back in space.   It happened on this day in 1971, or about 9 months after the problems of Apollo 13.    The men were Allan B. Shepard, who first went into space in 1961, Edgar Mitchell and Stuart A. Roosa.

Frankly, I miss these space missions.   They made us so proud!

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