Author Archives: HoldBackTheNite

The Bay of Pigs misadventure: Part 2

Part 1 of this series focused on President John F Kennedy’s desire for the relatively-clandestine Cuban invasion mission to succeed, hoping failure would still allow for a degree of plausible deniability. The plan backfired miserably, leaving pervasive mistrust within the U.S. government. The Bay of Pigs is viewed widely as the biggest failure of theContinue reading “The Bay of Pigs misadventure: Part 2”

The Bay of Pigs misadventure: Part 1

Following the 1961 inauguration, the Kennedy Administration soon experienced its first true crisis. Significant Cold War tensions a few years earlier compelled the Eisenhower Administration to draft a Cuban invasion plan. Included would be exiled Cuban nationals along with members of the U.S. Military in the attempt to fuel insurgence among the population ostensibly leadingContinue reading “The Bay of Pigs misadventure: Part 1”

The torch has been passed . . .

After narrowly scuttling Richard Nixon in the 1960 Presidential election, John F Kennedy was more determined than ever to deliver a memorable address at his inauguration. He accomplished as much. The speech is historic for many reasons. Hard-nosed but oratorically-lyrical with a variety of rhetorical techniques, it became one of the finest, as well asContinue reading “The torch has been passed . . .”

1960: Time to get moving

In a display of effective timing, John F. Kennedy chose January 2nd, 1960, the chronologically-sound calendar date given the year’s general election, to announce his bid for the Democratic nomination for the Presidency. The statement was not a lengthy one but it caught some pundits by surprise inasmuch as Kennedy was more widely viewed asContinue reading “1960: Time to get moving”

The Pirate ship is adrift, lost at sea.

Since the Cherington regime began with the 2020 season, the ongoing narrative has been how a proper rebuilding would take time. For reasons never quite disclosed, the General Manager set upon purging players from the few seasons prior to taking charge. Granted, the win total declined from 82 in 2018 to 69 in 2019. So,Continue reading “The Pirate ship is adrift, lost at sea.”

What Skenes means in the 2020s

Since 2020, the Pirates have maintained a record of consistent failure. As of May 25th 2025, the club has a mark of 313-449, a winning percentage of .411 that amounts to 66.5 wins over the course of a 162-game season. In that period, they’ve yet to have a year where they finished close to .500.Continue reading “What Skenes means in the 2020s”

Nuggets-Lakers series – player minutes per game

During the regular season, the Nuggets averaged 115.8 ppg and gave up 112.5. But they managed to be the West’s top seed, winning 53 games. In the 4-game sweep of 7-seed LA, they averaged 118 ppg and allowed 112. They used about 8 players per contest, though guard Reggie Jackson appeared in one game forContinue reading “Nuggets-Lakers series – player minutes per game”

Blurring the lines in political media: Tucker Carlson’s new role

Recently, Fox News TV personality Tucker Carlson, a seasoned host whose program maintained high ratings during the 8 pm weeknight hour, was discharged abruptly by the network for reasons that are not entirely clear. Reports for the exit vary as to the nature of scandals or sins, but he clearly fell out of favor withContinue reading “Blurring the lines in political media: Tucker Carlson’s new role”

2023 NFL Draft – First-round players prediction

Each year, I attempt to guess who the first-round players will be in the NFL Draft of college athletes. This year, there are 31, instead of 32, names because Miami’s pick was forfeited due to a violation. Though not interested in matching teams with potential choices, my goal is to get the actual first-rounders correct.Continue reading “2023 NFL Draft – First-round players prediction”