#1960&039;s America

[bargainsleuthbooks]

The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts by Loren Grush #NewBooks #BookReview #AudiobookReview #September2023Books #History #Biography #NASA #SimonandSchusterAudio

A #newbook tells the fascinating real-life story of the first American female #Astronauts. #TheSix #Theuntoldstoryofamericasfirstwomenastronauts #LorenGrush #bookreview #NASA #Newbooks #bookreview #ushistory #womenshistory #simonandschusteraudio

In the bestselling tradition of Hidden Figures and Code Girls, the remarkable true story of America’s first women astronauts—six extraordinary women, each making history going to orbit aboard NASA’s Space Shuttle. When NASA sent astronauts to the moon in the 1960s and 1970s the agency excluded women from the corps, arguing that only military test pilots—a group then made up exclusively of…

[pastdaily]

Latin America: The Wages Of Foreign Policy - America: The Price Of A Man On The Moon - June 4, 1961

https://pastdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/news-in-review-june-4-1961.mp3 Further evidence that history on any particular day isn’t about one earth-shifting event, but a series of seemingly inconsequential ones that creep up from time to time and take center stage without anybody looking. On this June 4th in 1961 it was about the upcoming Vienna Summit with Soviet Prime Minister Nikita…

[thenewdemocratus]

ESPN: SportsCentury: Greatest Head Coaches, Vince Lombardi

Source:The Daily Press On this Thanksgiving and by the way Happy Thanksgiving to everyone out there, I thought it would be a great time to blog about Vince Lombardi, the greatest head coach of all-time, not just in football, but perhaps in team sports period. I think you’ll have a hard time finding a better head coach because football is not just a huge part of our Thanksgiving holiday and Vince…

[ps14latinamerica]

Nearly All U.N. Members Condemn U.S. Embargo on Cuba

Summary:

In a meeting of the United Nations General Assembly last week, delegates overwhelmingly voted to condemn the United States' continued trade embargo on Cuba, with one holdout being the representative from Israel. The resolution to condemn America's sanctions against Cuba has been brought to the U.N. every year for the past thirty years, gaining more support this year than it ever has. Cuban foreign minister Bruno Rodriguez spoke of the "cruel" toll the embargo has taken on Cuba's economy: over $6 billion since President Biden assumed office, and insurmountably more since it was first instituted in 1960. While President Obama attempted to ease tensions between the U.S. and Cuba, predecessors Trump and Biden have reversed those efforts by enforcing further sanctions. Biden has justified the latest sanctions as a condemnation of Cuba's police response to protests last year, which evolved into violent anti-government protests. But Cuba's UN ambassador Yuri Gala believes, as do most UN members, that "if the United States government really did care for [...] human rights and self-determination of the Cuban people, it could lift the embargo," (Gala, "Only one country backs US in UN Cuba vote").

Analysis:

America's embargo on Cuba is a relic of the Cold War and its efforts to prop up governments around the world that favor capitalism and liberalism – many of which have failed. Most notably, the U.S. provided financial and military support to the regime of dictator Fulgencio Batista in the post-World War II era. Batista was severely authoritarian, but his economic policies allowed the U.S. to benefit from trade with Cuba, and he led a prominent campaign against "Communist activities." America's support for Batista despite his corrupt leadership, and its subsequent hostility towards a Castro-led Cuba, demonstrates the realist theory that states will ultimately abandon principles in favor of self-interest. U.S. foreign policy regarding Cuba prioritized the relative gains of its own power over the idealist approach of cultural consistency. If America truly were a staunch proponent of democracy, it would have condemned Batista's authoritarian abuses and use of secret police forces. But to American officials, creating a capitalist global economy was more advantageous than opposing Batista's anti-democratic dictatorship. Put in terms of the prisoner's dilemma, America chose to confess, not cooperate.

Fidel Castro as a popular leader championing socialist ideals posed an ideological threat to the U.S. in its efforts to emerge as the capitalist global hegemon. It lended legitimacy to the ideals of the Soviet Union, America's opponent in the Cold War and the other end of the bipolar global power structure. While the U.S. enjoyed hegemon status after the Soviet Union fell, growing opposition to the U.S. trade sanctions against Cuba reflect a shift towards a more multipolar power distribution. As nations like China, India, and Russia gain influence, so too do ideologies counter to American and western ideals; socialism and anti-capitalist sentiments are increasingly popular around the world. The U.N.'s near-unanimous vote against America's actions symbolizes a new balance of power that challenges U.S. supremacy on the global stage.

[joecarro]

My Top Ten Favorite Comedy Movies

My Top Ten Favorite Comedy Movies

Well, we’re right in the middle of summer and at the theaters right now, people are lining up to see their favorite summer blockbuster action films. I love action films – and you can see my Top Ten Favorite Action Films right HERE– but I think one of my favorite genres is Comedy. Whenever my wife and I sit down to watch a movie during dinner, or whenever I want to wind down for the night if I’m…

[outskirtspress]

Introducing Pat Jameson, author of Milburn Avenue

Introducing Pat Jameson, author of Milburn Avenue

“Outskirts Press did a very professional job in working with me to get my book published. Throughout the process, they were responsive, helpful, and knowledgeable.”

Pat Jameson was born in Eastern Oregon on his family’s ranch near Burns, then moved to Portland, where he lived for over forty years. He attended Santa Clara University and Northwestern School of Law of Lewis & Clark College. He…

[renee00124]

Actress Melinda Fee Dead by Stroke March 24, 2020 - Was she "Death Ray" Silenced?

Actress Melinda Fee Dead by Stroke March 24, 2020 – Was she “Death Ray” Silenced?

Targeted Individual & actress Melinda O. Fee has died.

As the directional beam targeted my heart from under my bed upstairs, on March 30, 2020, I was instantly reminded of Melinda Fee who died of a stroke on March 24, 2020.  The fact is when anyone who has gained any type notoriety by exposing today’s high-tech beamed weapon assaults and who reported being under constant attack as I and many…

[mrstillsmiling]

My Top 50 Cinematic Moments: Number 35 – Mississippi Burning (1988)

My Top 50 Cinematic Moments: Number 35 – Mississippi Burning (1988)

  Alan Parker is one of those rare British directors that has managed to score multiple successes across both sides of the Atlantic for a period of three decades. Although his last directed film, “The Life of David Gale“, was made all the way back in 2003, and released to abysmal reviews, his talent as a storyteller of cinema speaks for itself. In a career that includes “Bugsy Malone“, “Midnight…

[bargainsleuthbooks]

Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency by #MarkKUpdegrove #NetGalley #ARCReview

There's a new book coming out examining the Presidency of John F. Kennedy. Is there anything new in this book? Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency by #MarkKUpdegrove #NetGalley #ARCReview #IncomparableGrace #JFKinthePresidency #johnfkennedy #jfk

I’ve read more than 75 books on the Kennedys over the course of my adulthood. So when NetGalley and Dutton books offered me an ARC of Incomparable Grace: JFK in the Presidency (Amazon) in exchange for an honest review, I couldn’t resist. All opinions expressed are my own. The book goes on sale to the public April 12, 2022. “Nearly sixty years after his death, JFK still holds an outsize place in…

[pastdaily]

October 16, 1964 - An Absence Of Nikita - Shakeup In The Kremlin

October 16, 1964 – An Absence Of Nikita – Shakeup In The Kremlin

Suddenly no Nikita.

https://pastdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/News-for-October-16-1964.mp3 [laterpay_premium_download target_post_id=”47001″ heading_text=”Download For $1.99:” description_text=”News for October 16,1964 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection” content_type=”link”]

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The stunning news, on this October 16, 1964, was the revelation that Soviet PremierNikita…

[thenewdemocratus]

Roger Sharp Archive: ABC News Talking to Jack Ruby's Lawyers (1963)

Source:Roger Sharp Archive– Roger Sharp anchoring this special report for ABC News. “Following the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and his assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, ABC Correspondent Roger Sharp anchors from the WFAA-TV Dallas studios as correspondent Bill Lord interviews lawyers representing Jack Ruby, Oswald’s killer. Excerpts are also shown of a press conference by Nellie Connally, the…

[interiordesignfactory]

Five Amazing Car Classes Will Be The Stars At Pebble Beach

Five Amazing Car Classes Will Be The Stars At Pebble Beach #pebbleconcours #ferrari

This year’s Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, the premier car event for discerning automotive collectors and enthusiasts, promises to have some eye candy like you’ve never seen before. Each year the annual Sunday smörgåsbord of the world’s most fabulous cars features a handful of very special car classes to the delight of onlookers. This August’s automotive celebration presents five amazing car…

[anidilynn]

The Cold War For the American people in the 1960’s, the fear of a Communist takeover was very real and was validated by the actions of the government and the information disseminated by the media.

[newssplashy]

"It's been quite a ride," McCain wrote in his memoir.

Republican Sen. John McCain, 81, has died after a long battle with brain cancer.

The Arizona senator was diagnosed with an aggressive form of glioblastoma and began treatment for the disease in July 2017.

McCain appeared to be undeterred for several months after his diagnosis was made public.

He was seen back at work on Capitol Hill last fall and weighed in on major legislative policies, including the annual defense authorization bill and efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

"I don't mean to be repetitious, but to my Democrat friends and some of my Republican friends: I'm coming back," McCain said during a Facebook Live event in August last year.

McCain made headlines upon his return — including when he dramatically voted no on the Republican version of a bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

His career as a public servant spanned decades of honorable service, and despite some challenges along the way, McCain established himself as a key figurehead of the Republican Party. Few lawmakers on Capitol Hill will match the legacy he leaves behind.

Here's a look back at John McCain's incredible life:

McCain graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1958 and served as a pilot.

Early in his career in naval aviation, McCain's flying ability and judgment were questioned after he crashed three planes. His commanders were said to have sarcastically called him "Ace McCain" because of his record.

"John was what you called a push-the-envelope guy," Sam Hawkins, who flew in McCain's squadron in the 1960s, told the Los Angeles Times. "There are some naval aviators who are on the cautious side. They don't get out on the edges, but the edges are where you get the maximum out of yourself and out of your plane. That's where John operated."

On October 26, 1967, during the Vietnam War, McCain was flying over Hanoi when a surface-to-air missile hit his plane's wing, forcing him to eject.

"Some North Vietnamese swam out and pulled me to the side of the lake and immediately started stripping me, which is their standard procedure," McCain wrote in USA Today.

"Of course, this being in the center of town, a huge crowd of people gathered, and they were all hollering and screaming and cursing and spitting and kicking at me."

McCain broke both of his arms and his right knee. He had lost consciousness until he hit the water after ejecting from the plane.

McCain was held as a prisoner of the North Vietnamese Army (NVA) for five and a half years. He was subjected to torture and solitary confinement in a Vietnamese prison nicknamed the "Hanoi Hilton."

Upon learning that McCain's father was an admiral in the Navy, who would eventually command all US forces in the Pacific, NVA forces provided medical care to McCain. Doctors performed surgery on his leg, according to McCain, but made incorrect incisions on one side and cut all the ligaments.

McCain would spend the rest of his life walking with a noticeable limp.

McCain was released on March 14, 1973.

The North Vietnamese Army had previously offered McCain his freedom, but he refused, thinking that it would bring shame and demoralize his fellow POWs.

Carol, McCain's first wife, raised three children while he was gone, and was reportedly recovering from a devastating car crash that left her impaired for months.

McCain made several trips back to Vietnam to bridge relations with the US.

McCain would eventually retire from the Navy in 1981 as a captain. His awards include a Silver Star and a Distinguished Flying Cross.

"I have watched men suffer the anguish of imprisonment, defy appalling human cruelty ... break for a moment, then recover inhuman strength to defy their enemies once more," McCain said to the Naval Academy's graduating class in 1993. "All these things and more, I have seen. And so will you. My time is slipping by. Yours is fast approaching. You will know where your duty lies. You will know."

Source: Stars and Stripes

Some areas of the prison where McCain was held were converted into a museum, dedicated to the historic link between his service and the Vietnam War.

Source: Reuters

During a visit to the infamous prison, McCain said he could not forgive the jailers who mistreated and killed fellow POWs.

Source: Reuters

McCain married Cindy Hensley in 1980 and had a daughter, two sons, and adopted another daughter from Bangladesh.

Source: Los Angeles Times

After serving as a Navy liaison in the Senate, McCain took the leap into politics and was elected to serve Arizona's 1st Congressional District from 1982 to 1984.

McCain's political opponents criticized him early on, pointing to what they called his lack of connection to Arizona. He eventually hit back during a debate:

"Listen, pal. I spent 22 years in the Navy. My grandfather was in the Navy. We in the military service tend to move a lot. We have to live in all parts of the country, all parts of the world. I wish I could have had the luxury, like you, of growing up and living and spending my entire life in a nice place like the first district of Arizona, but I was doing other things. As a matter of fact, when I think about it now, the place I lived longest in my life was Hanoi."

"Looking back, I think the race was effectively over right then," McCain recalled in his autobiography. "But I didn't know that then. I was just mad and had taken a swing."

Source: New York Times, AZ Central

After his two terms in the House, McCain sought Arizona's Senate seat and won a landslide victory in 1986.

As a senator, McCain was a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee. He would eventually become the chairman of the committee, weighing in on a variety of matters involving the US military, such as funding and mission scope.

Source: AZ Central

Sen. McCain hit a bump in the road in 1989.

McCain was one of the "Keating Five" — five senators accused of trying to persuade federal regulators to ease up on Charles Keating, a major campaign donor who became financially compromised during the 1980s savings-and-loan crisis.

McCain, who emerged relatively unscathed after the Senate Ethics Committee's investigation, was found to have exercised "poor judgment." While the other four senators retired in the 1990s, McCain soldiered on.

"Despite my recovery, the Keating Five experience was not one that I have walked away from as easily as I have other bad times," McCain said in his memoir.

"Twelve years after its conclusion, I still wince thinking about it and find that if I do not repress the memory, its recollection still provokes a vague but real feeling that I had lost something very important, something that was sacrificed in the pursuit of gratifying ambitions, my own and others."

Following the scandal, McCain soon earned the moniker of "Maverick," a term his colleagues from both sides of the political aisle gave him as he advocated for campaign finance reform and sought to end government waste.

In the 1990s, McCain took on special-interest groups like the tobacco industry, and pushed for raising cigarette taxes to pay for anti-smoking campaigns. But McCain's anti-tobacco bill ultimately fell short after the tobacco industry launched a $40 million PR effort of its own.

"The losers are the children of America," McCain said.

Regardless of the outcome for some of his ambitious reforms, McCain's was easily reelected in 1992 and 1998.

Source: AZ Central

McCain would soon became a household name in politics. He set his sights higher and announced in 1999 that he would run for president in the 2000 election.

After losing several states in the primaries to then-Texas Gov. George W. Bush, McCain withdrew from the race and endorsed Bush.

One of McCain's crowning achievements in the Senate was the McCain-Feingold Act in 2002.

McCain, along with Democratic Sen. Russell Feingold of Winsonsin, helped enact the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002, one of the first major amendments to the Federal Election Campaign Act.

The legislation was designed to regulate financing for political organizations and curb the influx of soft money.

Following the attacks of September 11, 2001, McCain supported the US-led coalition war in Afghanistan.

McCain explained his support for Operation Enduring Freedom in a Wall Street Journal opinion column published in October 2001.

"There is no avoiding the war we are in today, any more than we could have avoided world war after our fleet was bombed at Pearl Harbor," McCain wrote. "America is under attack by a depraved, malevolent force that opposes our every interest and hates every value we hold dear."

"War is a miserable business. Let's get on with it."

McCain also supported the invasion of Iraq in 2003 and claimed Saddam Hussein was "turning Iraq into a weapons assembly line for al-Qaida's network."

Although McCain continued to voice his support for US military options in Iraq, McCain later admitted it was a mistake.

"The principal reason for invading Iraq, that Saddam had [weapons of mass destruction], was wrong," McCain wrote in his memoir.

"The war, with its cost in lives and treasure and security, can't be judged as anything other than a mistake, a very serious one, and I have to accept my share of the blame for it."

Source: USA Today

McCain announced his second presidential bid for the 2008 election.

McCain gracefully spars with then-Sen. Barack Obama.

McCain secured the Republican nomination in the primaries and faced off against then-Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois in the general election.

As McCain trailed behind polls, Obama's critics sought to discredit him by promoting false theories about his heritage and religion. During a campaign rally in 2008, one of McCain's supporters explained why she said she did not trust Obama.

"I have read about him, and he's not, he's not — he's an Arab," the woman said, incorrectly.

McCain quickly grabbed the microphone, shook his head and set the record straight.

"No ma'am," McCain said, calling Obama "a decent family man, citizen, that I just happen to have disagreements with on fundamental issues, and that's what this campaign is all about."

McCain selects Gov. Sarah Palin of Alaska as his running mate.

McCain later said he regretted the decision and wished he selected Joe Lieberman, the former Democratic senator from Connecticut, and his longtime friend, as his running mate.

"It was sound advice that I could reason for myself," McCain said in his memoir. "But my gut told me to ignore it and I wish I had."

McCain concedes to Obama in November 2008: "This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight."

On November 5, 2008, McCain formally conceded the election and congratulated President-elect Obama on his victory.

"A little while ago, I had the honor of calling Senator Barack Obama to congratulate him," McCain said. "To congratulate him on being elected the next president of the country that we both love."

"This is an historic election, and I recognize the special significance it has for African-Americans and for the special pride that must be theirs tonight," McCain added.

"I've always believed that America offers opportunities to all who have the industry and will to seize it. Senator Obama believes that, too."

As the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, McCain provided legislative oversight of the military and became a leading voice on veterans issues.

But as the chairman of the legislative body of military affairs, McCain also had to account for the military's failures.

For the most part, McCain maintained friendly ties with other lawmakers, regardless of their political party.

In July 2017, McCain announced he was diagnosed with brain cancer.

McCain received broad support for his recovery from both sides of the political aisle.

"I greatly appreciate the outpouring of support - unfortunately for my sparring partners in Congress, I'll be back soon, so stand-by!" McCain said on Twitter.

McCain feuded with President Donald Trump.

Prior to making a move to politics, real-estate tycoon Donald Trump threw jabs at McCain by throwing cold water on his military service.

Trump said the former naval aviator "was captured," and expressed doubt on whether he should be hailed as a hero.

"He's not a war hero," Trump said at a leadership summit in 2015. "He was a war hero because he was captured. I like people who weren't captured."

"I think John McCain's done very little for the veterans," Trump later said. "I'm very disappointed in John McCain."

Trump would continue to echo the remarks throughout his presidency.

McCain remained critical of Trump's presidency and did not shy from letting his feelings known. On Trump's controversial performance at his summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in July, McCain described it as "one of the most disgraceful performances by an American president in memory."

McCain also denounced Trump's repeated attacks on the press: "Trump continues his unrelenting attacks on the integrity of American journalists and news outlets," McCain wrote in an op-ed. "This has provided cover for repressive regimes to follow suit."

The decisive healthcare vote.

A few weeks after being diagnosed with brain cancer, McCain returned to the Senate floor and cast his stunning "no" vote and scuttled Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's healthcare bill on a 51-49 vote.

"Watch the show," McCain said to reporters as he walked into the chamber before the vote.

The Republican-led "skinny repeal" would have repealed major portions of President Barack Obama's healthcare reform law, and McCain's vote was crucial in derailing that effort.

McCain's vote has been a source of ire from Trump, who frequently disparages McCain's decision in his numerous campaign rallies.

McCain also had a gruff, but affectionate relationship with journalists.

McCain discontinues his brain cancer treatment.

On August 24, McCain announced he would discontinue his cancer treatment.

"In the year since, John has surpassed expectations for his survival," McCain's family said in a statement. "But the progress of disease and the inexorable advance of age render their verdict. With his usual strength of will, he has now chosen to discontinue medical treatment."

In a passage from his memoir, which was published in May, McCain writes:

"I don't know how much longer I'll be here. Maybe I'll have another five years. Maybe, with the advances in oncology, they'll find new treatments for my cancer that will extend my life. Maybe I'll be gone before you read this. My predicament is, well, rather unpredictable."

"I have some things I'd like to take care of first, some work that needs finishing, and some people I need to see. And I want to talk to my fellow Americans a little more if I may."

"It's been quite a ride."

"It's been quite a ride," McCain continued in his memoir. "I made a small place for myself in the story of America and the history of my times."

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[bargainsleuthbooks]

All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business by #MelBrooks #AudiobookReview #Memoir #Autobiography

Mel Brooks is a living legend, still going strong at the age of 95. Last fall he released his memoir and it's filled with lots of great stories. All About Me! My Remarkable Life in Show Business by #MelBrooks #AudiobookReview #Memoir #Autobiography

“For anyone who loves American comedy, the long wait is over. Here are the never-before-told, behind-the-scenes anecdotes and remembrances from a master storyteller, film-maker, and creator of all things funny. All About Me! charts Mel Brooks’ meteoric rise from a Depression-era kid in Brooklyn to the recipient of the National Medal of Arts. Whether serving in the United States Army in World War…

[pastdaily]

August 5, 1962 - Marilyn Monroe: Fame Is Fickle

August 5, 1962 – Marilyn Monroe: Fame Is Fickle

Marilyn Monroe: Fifty-four years ago today . . .

https://pastdaily.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/marilyn-monroe-fame-is-fickle-august-5-1962.mp3

Click on the link here for Audio Player – Marilyn Monroe: Fame Is Fickle – NBC Radio Tribute – August 6, 1962 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection

Hard to imagine it was fifty-seven years ago today the world lost Marilyn Monroe. Within hours of finding her…