EL CONFETI

Echo Park March in Support of Ladies in White

2010-03-30T20:59:00.001-07:00

A lesson for Honduras

2009-07-09T21:14:00.000-07:00

Don't ever let it get to the point that defending your freedom will put you in jail.

The Courage To Be Free: Tribute to Cuban Democracy Activists from National Endowment for Democracy on Vimeo.

Panfilo de Cuba - canción original

2009-05-22T16:45:00.000-07:00

El fracaso del médico de la salsa

2009-05-05T16:30:00.000-07:00

Manolín el PhD de la salsa, escribe acerca de su fracaso en el infierno (Miami). Los 3 de La Habana se presentan exitosamente en Los Angeles.

In case you missed it (lo que hace falta es jama)

2009-05-03T08:24:00.000-07:00

¡...así dice el jumao!

Mayo 1

2009-04-30T21:52:00.000-07:00

Uno, dos, tres, cuatro, comiendo mierda y rompiendo zapato. No vemos en la plaza.

La Cuchufleta

2009-04-26T14:34:00.000-07:00

La Cuchufleta
Uploaded by SODEPAZ

1 de Mayo: Pégale a las ollas

2009-04-18T22:36:00.000-07:00

Por el derecho que todo cubano pueda viajar sin tener que tirarse en una balsa.

Checos fueron detenidos en Cuba

2009-04-11T22:33:00.000-07:00

Cada vez que oigo mencionar algo relacionado con Checolosvakia me acuerdo de un cantico que cantabamos cuandos niños, este iba algo así:

"una metralleta, checa, checa, checa, a Cuba se respeta." Sinceramente, aunque lo cantaba en coro con los otros niños, cuando era más inocente, hoy me da asco. Y más asco cuando aparecen historias de esta índole, donde en Cuba arrestan a dos checos por haberse reunido con disidentes cubanos. Tal vez esto es to que temían los cobardes y asquerosos miembros del Congressional Black Causus.

On Jan 12, Czech nationals Ivan Pilip and Jan Bubenik were arrested in Ciego de Avila, 300 km southeast of Havana. Pilip is a co-founder of the right-wing party Freedom Union and a member of the Czech Parliament. Jan Bubenik was a student leader during the 1989 Velvet Revolution in Czechoslovakia and a former member of parliament.

The two Czechs met with dissidents Roberto Valdivia of the Comite Cubano Pro Derechos Humanos and Antonio Femenias, an independent journalist. Valdivia and Femenias denied the Czechs gave them money or any subversive materials.

Lea el resto aquí.

Not funny, I lived this.

2009-04-10T22:45:00.000-07:00

Via Bunnyfun Kitchen:

Langosta y carne de res prohibida en Cuba

2009-04-10T13:48:00.000-07:00

Sure why not, where is it?

2009-04-10T13:16:00.000-07:00

A CNN poll:

And 71 percent of those polled said that the U.S. should reestablish diplomatic relations with Cuba, while 27 percent opposed such a move.---->

But do they know where Cuba is? They can't even find Louisiana on a map.

You are a che guevera t-shirt wearer

2009-04-01T22:58:00.000-07:00

This video from an Australian band called The Clap. Tell me what you think. Are they making fun of the che t-shirt wearing idiots that don't even know who the guy is, but think he is "cool?"

What if...

2009-03-31T21:55:00.000-07:00

This gem from QBA TV:

La Verdadera Valiente

2009-03-30T12:05:00.000-07:00

We are Twittering

2009-03-29T17:19:00.000-07:00

We are now on Twitter...great for those of us who can only write one sentence per day.

Banned Funny Toyota Commercial (too risque)

2009-03-27T00:41:00.001-07:00

Me dedico solo a pintar

2009-03-08T21:04:00.000-07:00

Before Felipe Perez Roque, there was Roberto Robaina. Robertico picked up the phone to take a call from a AmericaTeve reporter and asked to comment on the recent purges under castro II. The only answer the frightened Robaina would give is "me dedico solo a pintar."

Keep the receipt

2009-02-10T15:12:00.000-08:00

H/T: OXC9

One last time

2009-02-08T22:24:00.000-08:00

About one hour ago I dropped my 82 year old mother at the airport. She is traveling from the West coast to the East coast and then onto Havana. This will most likely be her last trip, her last chance to see her only surviving sibling, her youngest sister, and her last chance to see the country where she was born. The airline tagged us with and additional $95 for excess luggage, which was filled with coffee bags, aspirins, vitamins, eye glasses, toilet paper, shoes and clothing, and God knows what else. When my mother returns, the only thing that she will bring back is her passport.

I gave her a digital camera and asked to take tons of photos, I don't even care it is of a dog taking a crap. As long as it is a Cuban dog. I know her, she will most likely not take any photos; in her own words "para qué, a quién le gusta ver miseria y desgracia."

Mami, le pido a Dios que te lleve y te traiga sana y salva.

Are we there yet?

2009-02-07T10:15:00.000-08:00

I have not read Das Kapital, but the following quote is attributed to Karl, and if so, he is right on the marx.

"Owners of capital will stimulate the working class to buy more and more of expensive goods, houses and technology, pushing them to take more and more expensive credits, until there debt becomes unbearable. The unpaid debt will lead to bankruptcy of banks, which will have to be nationalized, and the State will have to take the road which will eventually lead to communism"

-Karl Marx, Das Kapital, 1867

The phony democratic elite

2009-02-06T11:40:00.000-08:00

Do as I say, and not as I do!

Ve y deja tu huella

2009-02-05T16:16:00.000-08:00

MANIFIESTO DE MADRID.

Hace cincuenta años que Cuba padece una dictadura comunista, y en ese larguísimo periodo, que abarca tres generaciones, los cubanos sólo han conocido un gobierno: el de los hermanos Fidel y Raúl Castro. Si no mediaran miles de fusilamientos, si no existiera tanta represión y terror, sólo ésa circunstancia sería suficiente para condenar sin paliativos cuanto allí sucede.

Los cubanos que logran exiliarse y los viajeros que visitan a Cuba, casi unánimemente dan cuenta de una nación destruida en el orden material y espiritual, congelada en el tiempo, en la que más de doscientos presos de conciencia purgan largas sentencias en unas cárceles terribles, mientras los demócratas de la oposición que piden elecciones libres y respeto por los derechos humanos sufren toda clase de vejámenes y atropellos.

Esta bochornosa situación debe terminar. Cuba no puede seguir siendo una anacrónica dictadura comunista en un mundo en el que esa opción desapareció bajo el peso de su propia crueldad y torpeza. Los cubanos tienen derecho a vivir en libertad y a recuperar el control de su destino como personas.

La nueva relación entre la comunidad internacional (principalmente de gobiernos de Iberoamérica) y el Gobierno de Raúl Castro está basada en una falsedad que se ha repetido periódicamente en estos 50 años por parte del régimen cubano. El mundo quiere que Cuba cambie, cree que su Gobierno tiene la voluntad de cambiar y ese Gobierno le hace creer al mundo que desea el cambio. Sin embargo, a partir de una observación elemental no solo en este último año, sino de toda su trayectoria, se aprecia que no existe y no han existido evidencias de cambios reales por parte del régimen cubano.

Este Manifiesto tiene dos claros destinatarios: al gobierno dictatorial cubano le exigimos que abra las cárceles, permita que los cubanos ejerzan sus derechos, expresen sin más dilación sus preferencias políticas, y le dé paso a la inevitable transición hacia la democracia, que sean los propios cubanos soberanamente los que decidan sobre su destino; a los gobiernos y pueblos libres del mundo, que denuncien vigorosamente los crímenes de esa tiranía, apoyen explícitamente a la oposición democrática cubana y demanden con energía la libertad de todos los cubanos.

En Madrid, a primero de febrero de 2009.

El pase del cetro al mono bolivariano

2009-02-01T20:20:00.000-08:00

Tomás Cuesta minimizes castro II's relevance when castro I finally just becomes a piece of turkey jerky. However, it seems that the Bolivarian simian is smarter than we think and is the one destined to carry on the sceptre of opression and despair.

El perro morirá cuando llegue su hora, pero su desaparición no contendrá la rabia. Raúl es un experto matarife, un sicario obediente, un deshecho de tienta en los anales de la infamia. Es un pigmeo criminal, un actor secundario diluido en la gigantesca dimensión del drama. Raúl es sólo un ítem en el siniestro testamento de su hermano. Pero el auténtico heredero de Fidel, el encargado de culminar la pesadilla que comenzó hace cinco décadas y aún sigue desvelándonos, es, sin duda alguna, Chávez. Hugo Chávez. More [here].

Manifestación en Madrid

2009-02-01T09:37:00.000-08:00

Thousands showed up in Madrid to demonstrate against the 50 year old Cuban dictatorship. Castro II is in Russia drinking vodka and eating fried bacon, y la vida sigue igual.

Talento cubano

2009-01-24T22:06:00.001-08:00

Hilda Molina Blogs to plead her case

2009-01-19T20:11:00.000-08:00

Presidenta Cristina Kirschner will not meet with Dr. Hilda Molina during her visit to Havana. Her priority is meeting with castro II, while lamenting not being able to meet with castro I. Dr. Molina has been trying for 15 years to visit her son and grandchildren living in Argentina; however,it seems that Cristina's human rights focus is a little blurry when it comes to Cuba, and it is better to not get caught up in it and get all dirty with those dissident Cubans.

Looking for another way to be heard, Dr. Molina has launched her own blog, to which she only has access 2x per week: Hilda Molina Blog

Lamiendo a dictadores

2009-01-18T19:12:00.000-08:00

El siguiente comentario aparace como respuesta al publicarse la visita de Cristina Kirchner a Cuba, comenzando en el día the mañana. Esta se reunirá con castro II.

Cuando no existe oposicion, es DICTADURA, cuando durante 50 años solo un partido politico es el dueño del poder, ES DICTADURA, cuando un ciudadano no tiene la libertad de entrar y salir de su pais , ES DICTADURA, cuando no hay prensa libre, ES DICTADURA, cuando los DERECHOS HUMANOS ESTAN RESTRINGIDOS, ES DICTADURA, eso es Cuba , una DICTADURA. A todos los que alaban y se babean por Cuba, sobre todos los artistas, periodistas, escritores progres, les propongo vayan a Cuba e intente, un dia decir no me gusta esto....Primero, no creo que exista un lugar donde decirlo, y segundo, a los Victor Heredia, Leon Gieco, Ernestina Pais, Verbisky, y demas muchos Progres que viven jodiendo con la isla y Fidel, el Che y esa maquina de asesinos, no se come bife de Lomo , ni se vive en barrios Cerrados, ni 4 x 4, ni nada de nada. Basta de mentiras, ES UNA DICTADURA INFAME, ASESINA, DONDE CARCOMEN LA LIBERTAD INDIVIDUAL. y LEAN LA HISTORIA, Y PREGUNTE QUE LE PASO A CIENFUEGOS, QUIEN LO MANDO A MATAR. BASTA DE MENTIRAS Y FALSOS HEROES...

Before castro, inc.

2009-01-18T17:36:00.000-08:00

But they can own cell phones, right?

2008-05-27T21:41:00.000-07:00

Chile remains the Latin American nation with the highest technology level, while Cuba again is the worst.

And this in spite of castro II relaxing the ability for Cubans to own technology.

The new freedoms under castro II

2008-05-27T00:15:00.000-07:00

Things are sure improving under castro II. The government has all the freedom to bust your head open whenever they feel like it.

Cuba dissidents say police raid meeting

HAVANA (AP) — Cuban police violently broke up a dissidents' meeting, leaving at least two people in need of medical treatment, opposition sources said Monday.
At least 30 people were detained briefly after a weekend raid on the home of well-known dissident Jorge Luis "Atunez" Garcia Perez in the central city of Placetas, opposition leader Martha Beatriz Roque said in a communique sent to journalists by fax.
Veteran dissident Elizardo Sanchez said he independently confirmed the details of the raid and that all who were detained were later released.
At least two people needed medical care, including one man who required a head X-ray, and were later sent home, said Sanchez, head of the Cuban Commission on Human Rights and National Reconciliation.
"This is the most violent police action we have seen in many months," he said.

Kill, Torture, Lie

2008-04-07T17:39:00.001-07:00

Raul castro assumes the throne

2008-02-19T06:09:00.001-08:00

My boss called me early this morning to give me the news that fidel castro has resigned. I don't know what it is? I am happy about it, but why am I not jubilant?

After almost half a century in power, Cuba's Fidel Castro is stepping down.
He made the announcement overnight on the online edition of the Cuban Communist Daily paper Granma [the national toilet paper]. More from ABC News.

Still hopeful for 2008

2007-12-29T18:23:00.000-08:00

The following message was left by a anonymous visitor to this site, and probably someone that has a great deal of respect for Ofelia Fox. I am beginning to think that Ofelia was a grand Cuban lady, and that without a doubt expressed what all Cubans are still feeling today. My most sincere and Happy 2008 to all my Cuban brethren here is the US and specifically to those on the Island...may 2008 bring a new dawn of freedom and opportunities to all!

Hace 44 años...
Ofelia Fox (Liansú) transmitió por la WMIE, La Cubanísima, el siguiente mensaje de Año Nuevo que aparece en las páginas 324-325 del libro CUBA PATRIA EN LAGRIMAS Y EL MENSAJE DE LIANSU:

"Hoy que estamos en los umbrales de un nuevo año lleno de esperanzas envío mi saludo y mi afecto, reafirmando mi fe en Dios y en los Cubanos, a todos los que me escuchan. Aquí y en Cuba. No puedo asegurar…nadie puede…cuando regresaremos a pisar la tierra libre que nos vio nacer. Como y cuando reconquistaremos el prestigio, los honores y los derechos que nos legaron todos los que han muerto por la libertad de Cuba. Volver. Jamás se puede volver porque segundo a segundo se nos va la vida. Pero si regresar a nuestros campos, a nuestras iglesias, a la tumba de los idos y a la cuna del Cubanito recien nacido que leerá en los libros de historia la gran traición de una revolución que solamente ha servido para esclavizar y silenciar la voz del Cubano que quiere expresar una opinión y trabajar y producir y ser leal al amigo y feliz con su familia. Regresar para abrir las cárceles donde yacen los que se han opuesto al comunismo. Para darles sol y amor y respeto. Regresar a ver nuestro cielo y abrazar a cuantos han recibido castigo inmerecido y humillaciones irreparables. Regresar para admirar nuestros rios, valles y montañas. Sonreir ante el surco fértil que cultivan nuestros guajiros; ante el ladrillo y el acero que servirán para reconstruir lo que han destruído los que nos odian hoy por negarnos a ser cómplices silenciosos de la matanza de hermanos y esclavitud del pueblo. Regresar tambien al destilar del ron y al sonar de las maracas. Ruego a Dios porque me de suficiente vida para ir allá a reir, a llorar, a abrazarnos todos…y a gritar al mundo: ¡Somos Cubanos y ya regresamos a casa!”
Ofelia Fox, Liansú, 1 de Enero de 1964

¡Censurado!

2007-10-15T12:49:00.000-07:00

Duped, again!

2007-09-22T08:52:00.000-07:00

So, the dead dictator rears his desiccated head on Cuban television, again! Why were so many duped and ready to party at the drop of a pin? I was not. Reliable, incontrovertible sources assured that the dictator fidel castro was indeed in a fossilized state. I do not blame them; it is their blinding desire to see a free Cuba that causes them to believe the inevitable. A monster does not rule for 50 years without deceit and manipulation; let’s face it we all fell for it.

As for me, “la botellita” that currently chills in my refrigerator will be popped when the dancing celebrating the monster’s demise happens in the streets of La Habana…not Miami!

El tareco still works

2007-09-03T08:51:00.000-07:00

In 1966, upon declaring that he was taking his family out of Cuba, my father was sent away to a hard labor camp (la granja) to cut sugar cane. This left my mother alone, to provide for her two sons. Nevertheless, we were one of the lucky ones. We had family that owned farms, and we owned a GE refrigerator (affectionately called el tareco - the old clunker). My mother would make frequent trips to the country to visit her family and bring back fruits, vegetables and meats. The GE refrigerator would store these items, keep them fresh and minimized the long trips that my poor mother had to endure. The good GE was also a source of revenue for the family. My mother would make strawberry “durofrio” (a sort of frozen Kool-Aid concoction) that she would sell to the neighborhood kids for pennies. This lasted as long as long a supplies lasted, which wasn’t very long. We also sold ice, a “cubeta” (an ice tray) for 20¢ each.

No wonder Cubans are upset that the government is trying to retire the old reliable GE and replace them with Chinese scrap metal.

“They took away my señor and replaced him with a little guy,” said a 47-year-old cook who lives in the Reparto Zamora district in western Havana. Welcoming a visitor to her kitchen, she pointed to the slim, white Chinese-made Haier that had taken the place of the bulky, pink Frigidaire that had been in her family for 24 years.

Poetic justice would be to bury the Havana cadaver in an old GE. No, wait a minute that would preserve him for another 50 years...never mind. The full story [here].

Galery of murderers

2007-09-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

In the center a murderer of many, on the right a murderer of self. Who is (are) that on the left?

Toronto, June 2007.

Educational video from Miami's favorite rapper

2007-08-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

Cuban spies harass dissidents- in Miami

2007-08-30T17:36:00.000-07:00

Apparently it does not matter if you are a dissident in Cuba or one that has fled to Miami. The castroit thugs continue to harass, even if these dissidents now live in Miami. This story is told by once such prominent dissident living in Miami since 2004: Adela Soto Alvarez

La hipocresia mexicana

2007-08-30T17:06:00.001-07:00

Mexico has a problem when the USA deports its citizens that enter this country illegally. They believe that the border should should be open, sometimes even providing maps, water and supplies to help them in their journey North. But this help is exclusively for Mexicans. Such hypocrites! However, they are quick to incarcerate, abuse, mistreat and deport those that enter Mexico without the appropriate documentation.

Estación migratoria de Tapachula mantiene a 120 cubanos retenidos

Notimex / La Jornada On Line

Ingresaron ilegalmente a territorio mexicano a través de lanchas.

Tapachula, Chis. Un total de 120 cubanos permanecen retenidos en la estación migratoria de Tapachula, con base en un procedimiento administrativo al haber ingresado ilegalmente a territorio mexicano mediante lanchas y balsas.

En entrevista, el delegado regional del Instituto Nacional de Migración (INM) en Chiapas, Rafael Pretelín, dijo que los extranjeros están en espera de una resolución a su situación jurídica.

Por otro lado, dio a conocer que en los primeros siete meses del año, el INM en Chiapas aseguró y repatrió a 37 mil 933 extranjeros. De ellos, detalló, 23 mil 626 son originarios de Guatemala, seis mil 390 de Honduras, seis mil 306 de El Salvador, mil 42 de Nicaragua, 168 de Cuba, 79 de Ecuador, 41 de China, 75 de Brasil, 18 de Bangladesh y el resto de diversas naciones del mundo.

Not an aspirin but 4x the weapons

2007-08-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

Could it be that one of the reason the cadaver has not been unveiled to the Cuban people is because raul castro is not ready for an uprising? Not all the weapons have been upgraded.

Cuba upgrading its weapons

From correspondents in Havana

August 28, 2007 07:20am

CUBA has been upgrading its military arsenal since President Fidel Castro fell ill 13 months ago, to defend itself against a possible US invasion, senior officers said today.

"In the irregular combat [as opposed to regular] we would face in Cuba in case of an invasion, the engineering, infantry and artillery systems we produce and repair here are of vital importance, because they're designed for the aggressor's direct assault," said Lieutenant-Colonel Pascual Machado, chief coordinator of Cuba's Military Industrial Firm (EMI).

EMI director Colonel Arturo Torres told the Trabajadores newspaper the facilities he runs "have increased their production level since 1998 more than fourfold".

Weapon systems that have been upgraded in precision targeting and destructive capabilities include munitions, grenades, land mines and anti-tank rockets, Trabajadores said.

As an example, the weekly said a laser-guided targeting system called VLMA [as in Cuba’s now dead First Ho, Vilma?], has boosted the AK-M automatic rifle's precision by 80-90 per cent [now you can get hit a Cuban citizen at 400 yards from atop the Hotel Melia], regardless of the shooter's skill level [even Elian can use it].

Interim Cuban President Fidel Castro [I thought the interim dictator was raul, fidel is dead. Is he coming back?], on Cuba's July 26 national day, urged the successor [that would be castro’s handpicked President Hillbama as coined by our friends a Killcastro and VP John Edwards] of US President George W. Bush to seek an end to more than a half century of US-Cuban enmity through dialogue.

Washington said talks would be possible only if Cuba turned to democracy.

Raul, 76, who was appointed to Cuba's top post after Fidel, 81, underwent delicate surgery on July 31, 2006, also warned that Cuba was ready to defend itself if needed [to kill as many dissidents as possible].

Raul said special military operation Caguairan, put in place following Castro's illness, would finish at the end of next year [are they going to keep the cadaver on ice for that long?] - US presidential elections take place in November next year.

Fidel Castro, who has been writing regularly in Cuba's leading newspapers since March, in a June article said Cuba should continue producing and buying weapons to defend itself from the "growing aggression" of the Bush administration [Bush doen’t even know where Cuba is, he is working on amnesty for 12 million illegals, which about equal to Cuba’s population].

Preparing to vault

2007-08-28T21:46:00.001-07:00

How does one win citizenship, I though that it is earned. I guess when it comes to Argentina citizenship is like winning the lottery, and so it seems that daughter of the Butcher of the Cabaña had the right numbers, the right pedigree.

The news that Celia Guevara March , 44, had obtained Argentine citizenship last January sparked speculation that she and other members of her family had begun making plans to leave the island nation after Cuban leader Fidel Castro fell ill last July. Read more [here].

Not until they drag him through the streets

2007-08-26T23:11:00.001-07:00

It seems that we keep falling for the same gag over and over again. When are we going to learn? Wouldn't it be better to wait and see, before celebrating rumors? For 50 years we have fallen for similar rumors, for false hopes, only to see the devil rise again. There will be no swift demise for this one, and only God will decide when.

Perez risks credibility

2007-08-25T10:09:00.000-07:00

The celebrity gossip blog PerezHilton ( a Cuban) better known for spreading rumors about Britney and Paris, stands by the rumor that the monstrous coma-andante is definitely dead!

Other maintaining the same stance:
Val at Babalú
Ziva at Blog for Cuba

Here we go again!

2007-08-24T21:31:00.000-07:00

One of my employees just called to tell that the Internet is riddled with news of the death of the Coma Andante, and to tell me that we did not win the lottery. We shared buying a ticket in California's Super Lotto. If the bestia is dead, then I have won, and so have million of Cubans. ¡Ojalá sea verdad!

Is he dead yet?

2007-05-20T22:26:00.000-07:00

According to writer Mario Vargas Llosa, in Latin America no dictatorship has lasted longer than the dictator. Why should Cuba be any different? Die already you bastard, so that Cubans may live in freedom!

Por otro lado, Vargas Llosa abordó la situación política en Cuba bajo el mando de Fidel Castro e indicó que tiene "la absoluta seguridad de que su dictadura no va a sobrevivirle".

Explicó que "en América Latina nunca una dictadura ha sobrevivido a su dictador. O sea, que el final de la pesadilla cubana yo creo que está cerca".

"Y ojalá que la transición de Cuba a la democracia sea pacífica, porque ya los cubanos han sufrido bastante con estos 50 años de tiranía comunista" , concluyó el autor de "Pantaleón y las visitadoras".

Idiotcy pays off

2007-05-19T09:43:00.000-07:00

And you though they do it because of their conviction.

Chavez government to finance Danny Glover film

Tucson, Arizona | Published: 05.19.2007

CARACAS, Venezuela — Venezuela's Congress says it has approved financing for two films by actor Danny Glover, a close supporter of President Hugo Chavez.
The lawmaking body, which is closely allied with Chavez, said in a statement on its Web site Thursday that it approved $20 million for two Glover productions.

Hope

2007-05-09T00:30:00.000-07:00

This last weekend the Son Cubano at the Queen Mary in Long Beach took place; a celebration of Cuban culture in Los Angeles. I took many photos that I will share with you in the coming weeks, but the following is one of my favorites.

Daniel, 90 years old.

Missing, But Not Gone

2007-03-31T20:04:00.000-07:00

My friends the American Dream is real, but it takes a lot of work. Last November yours truly received a work promotion that immediately tripled my responsibilities, in workload and in the number of employees reporting directly to me. El cubanito that arrived in this great country at the age of 10 is now the boss! I am not gloating, that is not my style. I am just simply stating that if you study, and work hard you eventually get the wheel. However, this is not the only reason why I stopped blogging. I confess that I went through a little depression that simply kept me away from the computer, caused by a filthy dictator that refuses to die. I am still asking myself the question, what great sin have the Cuban people perpetrated to deserve such hell, such punishment?

Che: Not just on t-shirts

2007-01-30T20:15:00.000-08:00

Daphne’s Greek Cafes are springing up all over California and Arizona offering fast Greek food. I find the food to be tasty, plentiful, and healthier than other fast-food alternatives. I probably eat at Daphne’s at least once per week. Last Thursday, I was having lunch at the Rancho Cucamonga, CA restaurant, and as I was about to dig into my Greek salad and my business associate into his gyro…I heard it. I heard it, and I heard it again, the music, comandante che guevara. The first thing that I did was to talk to the manager, who explained that the music was from a MP3 digital recording coming from the restaurant’s computer hard drive, and he had no control of the music. There were other diners in the restaurant, but no one seemed to care but me; my Cuban radar was working and it was finely tuned. I endured the entire song…comandante che guevara, no sense in getting bad digestion at utter ignorance. I returned to my office and wrote my letter to George Katakalidis, CEO & Founder of Daphne’s, and the Area Manager responded.

Dear Orlando,

Thank you for taking the time to let us know that your experience at our
restaurant did not meet the high standards of quality we provide to our
guests. We value your comments and continue to improve the dining
experience for all of our guests through evaluation and training.

I have personally addressed your comments regarding the music through a
internet service with the Regional Director of the Company. Your opinion
really matters and won't fall on deaf ears.

Please allow us to send you a gift certificate so that we can show you our
appreciation in allowing us to correct this situation. We listen
carefully to our guest comments and will take immediate actions to rectify
the situation.

John Moreno
Area Manager
909-319-4414

I want to publicly thank the company for responding so quickly to my concerns; they have regained my confidence and my loyalty. I hope never to hear that song again at a Daphne’s restaurant.

Learning: Slow process for Spielberg

2007-01-28T07:12:00.000-08:00

Could it be that 5 years after Steven Spielberg had his magical mesmerizing meeting with fidel castro, he is now regretting it. Could it be the pictures of the gaunt Guillermo Fariñas, the story about the courageous Ladies in White, the suffering in jail of Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, the murder attempt on Dr. Darsi Ferrer's 5-year sold son, or could it be the monarchical ascension of catro's brother raul to the "Cuban throne." Is Spielberg finally getting it? I don't know if he is, but his defenders are out there trying to change history.

Forum: Exchange on a Cuba call
Published January 28, 2007

In "Fading Fidel" (Jan. 19, A17) R. Emmett Tyrrell Jr. writes "After dining with him [Castro] in 2002, Steven Spielberg enthused he had just spent 'the eight most important hours of my life.' "
In fact, Mr. Spielberg never said that, or anything remotely like that. I organized Mr. Spielberg's trip to Cuba, and was there with him. The purpose of the trip, authorized by the U.S. government, was to screen eight of his films for the Cuban public.
He never said that, or anything else about Fidel Castro, during the trip or after. The statement is preposterous on its face. The AP and Reuters in Cuba, which covered his trip to Havana, most certainly would have used that quote if he had really said it. In fairness to Mr. Spielberg, The Washington Times should correct the record.
Please let me know if you have any questions or need any further information.

Sincerely,
STEPHEN RIVERS

Dear Mr. Rivers:
The quote came from multiple reputable sources -- the Wall Street Journal, the Boston Globe, the Los Angeles Times, the Dallas Morning News, the (New York) Daily News, and Scotland on Sunday, to name a few -- whose accuracy we had no reason to doubt. Mr. Spielberg was criticized for his visit to Cuba by his colleague, Robert Duvall. Mr. Spielberg's contention he was originally misquoted by Cuba's state-run press has been less widely circulated.
What has not been disputed is that Mr. Spielberg dined and talked with the dictator for hours, allowing himself to be used by a cruel regime for its public relations purposes. I'm willing to take your word for it that Mr. Spielberg was misquoted. Perhaps such misunderstandings can be avoided in the future by refusing to be used by ruthless tyrants who rely on propaganda to maintain their grip on power.

R. EMMETT TYRRELL JR.
Editor in chief, the American Spectator.

Beware of pointed headed professors

2007-01-26T18:50:00.000-08:00

This is what you get when you let the Kool Aid drinking Pointed Headed professors travel to Cuba on those "academic" exchange travel programs.

Cubans don't want capitalism and private property. At most they're looking for job security.

The embalming process continues

2007-01-23T17:58:00.000-08:00

Cuba's non-elected VP: T he non-elected prez-historic dictator is recovering.

Me, I am just waiting for the biological solution.

Everything is A OK

2007-01-21T18:33:00.000-08:00

Anita nieve would like for you to know that there is nothing happening in Cuba, and whatever was going to happen with the departure of the dictator has already happened.

About the only thing different in Cuba is that its government, instead of being led by a single person, is handled by a group. Raul Castro heads a collective leadership guided by the same Communist Party his older brother extolled during a nearly half-century in power.

"These guys know what they are doing. They are prepared to lead Cuba without Fidel," said Marifeli Perez-Stable of the Inter-American Dialogue, a Washington think tank. "The country, in the short run, is not going to collapse." [MORE]

Is the short run 48 years?

The burro and fifo virus

2007-01-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

Today, Val writes that upon reviewing his referrer logs he has noticed a number of worlwide searches based on the death of Hugo Chavez and that of fidel castro. However, no such luck. A Spanish website reports that internet surfers should be awared of a Trojan virus showing up in e-mails, with the heading "Fidel Castro is dead" or "Hugo Chavez is dead."

La Asociación de Internautas alertó hoy contra correos electrónicos con fichero adjunto de asuntos como 'Fidel Castro dead' (Fidel Castro ha muerto) o 'Hugo Chávez dead' (Hugo Chávez ha muerto) que contienen un troyano que está infectando miles de máquinas.

When is a colostomy needed?

2007-01-19T16:41:00.000-08:00

There are several reasons why a colostomy may be needed, but here is one that I found particularly interesting. A colostomy may be needed to divert intestinal contents in conditions such as imperforate anus (absense of anal opening). That explains very clearly why fidel castro was so apt to giving 4 and 6 hour speeches...la mierda tiene que salir por alguna parte.

Exchange rate

2007-01-17T20:14:00.000-08:00

The Peruvian President in calling for one South American currency. The exchange rate is as follows:

1 dying Cuban dictator = 10 buckets of mierda

Even then!

2007-01-09T22:09:00.000-08:00

They deny milk to children, why not toys

2007-01-07T22:27:00.000-08:00

I recall that it was 1964 or so, I was 5 years old, when Los Tres Reyes Magos started to become rather stingy. It seemed that with every passing year, my list was simply being ignored, and the things that I asked for kept going missing. Something was wrong! By 1970 when my family was told to leave the country, the Wise Men of East were nothing but a distant memory, they were no more. It seems that there is a resurrection of some kind in Cuba, and Magos are coming back, the people are remembering, and the government is worried.

In a two-page spread, the Juventud Rebelde reported on the revival of "Three Kings Day," a Latin American tradition of giving gifts to children on Jan. 6, commemorating the arrival of three wise men who offered the newborn Jesus gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

"A tradition that seemed extinct in Cuban society rises again," the state-run newspaper said. "Although no one sees celebrating the millennial festivity of the Three Kings as heresy, the danger could be in (the holiday) accentuating consumerist habits and social differences."

[MORE].

Viernes:Ayuno

2007-01-05T07:31:00.000-08:00

Hoy es viernes y día de ayuno. Súmate y participa para llevar conocimiento al resto del mundo de los sufrimientos que azotan a la disidencia cubana.

T-Shirt Icon

2007-01-04T23:01:00.000-08:00

Rumor: Is fidel castro in Spain?

2007-01-01T17:57:00.000-08:00

The way I look at rumors is that they are created until someone proves that they are just that, a rumor. Well here is the latest, it seems that the good Dr. José Luis García Sabrido the Spanish specialist who flew to Cuba in a chartered flight to see the cadaver in Adidas may have returned to Spain with additional cargo. I am not sure about the veracity of the following report, but here it is anyway:

Un rumor sorprendente y sin confirmación: se dice que Castro está siendo tratado en España, en el Gregorio Marañón

Es sólo un rumor. No tiene ninguna confirmación. Pero lo cierto es que ha circulado en ambientes muy restringidos. El rumor es éste: Fidel Castro se encuentra en España, donde, con el máximo secreto, está siendo tratado de su enfermedad.

El rumor que le llega a El Chivato –y como tal se recoge en las páginas de El Confidencial Digital- es que el avión que trasladó al médico José Luis García Sabrido a Cuba trajo a España, en el vuelo de vuelo de regreso, al mismísimo Fidel Castro, para ser tratado en nuestro país de manera más efectiva.

Según esas informaciones, el dictador cubano habría sido ingresado en el Hospital Gregorio Marañón, donde trabaja el citado doctor, en una zona totalmente restringida. Solamente le estaría viendo y asistiendo una religiosa especializada en enfermería, que garantizaría la máxima reserva.

Por si fuera poco, ayer, Fidel Castro difundió un mensaje de fin de año a los cubanos en el que dice que su salud “no es una batalla perdida”, y afirma que se encuentra sometido al cuidado de “médicos españoles”.

No olviden las uvas

2006-12-31T12:51:00.000-08:00

Panhandlers: Cuba’s evolving class

2006-12-31T10:10:00.000-08:00

Culturally there is nothing more shameful to a Cuban than to publicly beg for a handout. Nevertheless, Cubans are doing just that to survive in the communist paradise.

The coin phrase:

in Cuba, it's far more lucrative to beg from tourists than to work full-time.

Of course, Cuba has 100% employment, and the government will deny that there are panhandlers living off of tourists and making more money than their government jobs or pensions. Just go ask the dying billionaire (who never begged for his money...but stold it), if there is poverty in Cuba.

London Mayor wants a party for castro

2006-12-28T10:08:00.000-08:00

Forwarded for your ~~reading~~ wretching pleasure…

Ken plans Trafalgar Square street party to celebrate 50 years of Castro
28.12.06

Ken Livingstone is planning a "massive festival" across London to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Fidel Castro's Cuban revolution.

The event, to be staged in 2009, will involve street parties, sports venues and some of London's leading museums as well as the closure of Trafalgar Square.

Although the Mayor's office refused to provide budget estimates, it could cost up to £2 million.

The festival was agreed on the Mayor's controversial trip to Cuba last month. But Mr Livingstone's lavishing of public money to honour one of the last dictatorships in Latin America was condemned today.

"Forking out to celebrate a totalitarian regime is a choice that most Londoners will find bizarre," said Angie Bray, leader of the Conservative group on the London Assembly.

"The Mayor associates himself with some of the most odious people around and it's Londoners who are being asked to pay out. Sooner or later, there will be a reckoning."

Speaking at a recent public meeting at Central Hall, Westminster, Mr Livingstone said: "We've got the backing of the Cuban government for a massive festival to celebrate 50 years of justice in Cuba."

According to human rights organisations, Cuba is one of two countries in the Americas (the other being Haiti) where political freedom is completely curtailed. The British Government singles out Cuba as one of only two Latin American states which is of "major human rights concern".

There are 33 countries in the Americas. The bi-partisan US foundation, Freedom House, classifies 22 of them as "free", nine as "partly free", and two, Cuba and Haiti, as "not free.

Political parties, other than the Communist Party, are prohibited in Cuba, as are free trade unions. Freedom of expression is banned and, according toAmnesty International, there are 70 prisoners of conscience.

There is no press freedom and Cuban citizens are not allowed to travel freely - they are also affected by a US economic blockade.

Severe racism against Cuba's black minority is reported by human rights monitors.

Mr Livingstone said: "The Cuban revolution of 1959 was an extraordinary event not just for Cuba but for the region as a whole and I have never concealed my support for this fact.

"There is no reason why Cuba should be singled out for controversy except for people coming at international issues from a very Right-wing perspective."

The Mayor pointed to Cuba's "excellent healthcare", high literacy rate and "Cuban sporting prowess" as reasons to celebrate.

Mr Castro assumed power on 1 January 1959, after a three-year military conflict between his guerrillas and the army of the then Cuban dictator, Fulgencio Batista.

The doctor's opinion

2006-12-28T09:58:00.000-08:00

"Hasta donde yo conozco, desmiento absolutamente que tenga cáncer. No tiene ningún tumor maligno. En un paciente de 80 años puede ocurrir cualquier cosa, pero su situación es estable", aseveró en varias ocasiones. "Tiene una actividad intelectual intacta, fantástica", dijo. El Pais

“As far as I know, (f)idel (c)astro does not have cancer.” This is a translation of the first part of the above sentence, uttered by Dr. José Luis García Sabrido, the communist doctor that was flown to Cuba from Spain by the Cuban authorities to examine the cancer that has governed Cuba for almost 48 years. In the doctor’s opinion, the cancer does not have cancer. Where are the facts? Where is the scientific data that show beyond a shadow of a doubt that there is no cancer? Of course, data can be fabricated, and perhaps the doctorcito is not willing to sacrifice it all for the old dying-saur.

Cuba gives the shaft to business partner

2006-12-27T16:41:00.000-08:00

It is a good thing that the Venezuelan castro wannabe does not expect to be paid back for the 90,000+ barrels per day provided to Cuba. That equates to about $2 billion per year…ouch! However, this will serve as fair warning to those who wish to give the Cuban regime credit…

Cuba owes Canadian oil firms $69 million: Pebercan
27/12/06
CALGARY, Alberta (Reuters) - Cuba's state-run oil company is behind in $69 million of payments to its Canadian partners in a heavy-oil-producing block on the north side of the island, one of the partners said on Wednesday.

The rest of the story [here].

But since it is a Canadian company, I am 16% less concerned.

Bolivia arrests Cuban dissident

2006-12-26T11:29:00.000-08:00

Freedom of speech is dead in Bolivia. Bolivian authorities have arrested and plan to deport Cuban Dr. Amauris Samartino, simply for openly speaking out against the Bolivian cocalero’s cozy attitude towards his “dying uncle” castro. Sending this man to Cuba is a definite prison sentence. Watch out for other Cuban bootlicking countries like Venezuela, Nicaragua, Ecuador, and yes-even Mexico to follow suit. Ziva is wise to advise all Cuban dissidents in these countries to get out now!

Others tracking the story:
The Real Cuba
Babalu

Click [here] for contact information to the Bolivian Embassy.

I guess she did say it!

2006-12-26T08:48:00.000-08:00

The explanation was that the the video was doctored to show that she was in favor of assasinating the dictator, who is knocking at hell's door anyway. However, it looks like she was just saying what millions were thinking. How about a little Polonium 210, it seems very effective.

What do you want for Christmas?

2006-12-22T07:48:00.000-08:00

From the WSJ. This Christmas remember the men and women of valor that are rotting in Cuban prisions, like Dr. Elias Biscet, not the cowards that strip men of their dignity and honor.

Che, Cuba and Christmas
By MARY ANASTASIA O'GRADY
December 22, 2006

Until yesterday Christmas shoppers at Target department stores could purchase a 24-CD carrying case decorated with the image of Che Guevara. When I heard about it, I wondered why the retailer would want to promote the memory of a mass murderer. What's next, I asked, when I spoke with a representative of the company on Wednesday, Pol Pot pajamas?

Late Wednesday evening Target sent me this statement: "It is never our intent to offend any of our guests through the merchandise we carry. We have made the decision to remove this item from our shelves and we sincerely apologize for any discomfort this situation may have caused our guests."

The fact that it took only a day for Target to make that admirable decision suggests that at least someone at the company knows who Guevara was and what Cuba is today thanks in part to him. The misstep, though, probably occurred because others at the company allowed Target to become a target itself of the Che myth.

Guevara is not just a dead white guy from a well-to-do family who terrorized a racially mixed nation and executed hundreds of innocents in the late 1950s and 1960s. He is also a symbol of the totalitarian regime that persists in Cuba, which still practices his ideology of intolerance, hatred and repression. It is not the torture and killing alone that make the tragedy. That only describes the methodology. Guevara's wider goal -- to forcibly strip a population of its soul and spirit -- is what is truly frightening and deplorable. Christians, who celebrate the birth of their Savior on Monday, have particularly suffered under Guevara's dream of revolution, which has lasted since 1959.

The fear under which Cubans have lived for 48 years was fathered by the merciless Che Guevara. The unhappy Argentine Marxist met Fidel Castro in Mexico in 1955 and later became a rebel commander. "The Black Book of Communism," published in 1999 by Harvard University Press, notes that early in his career Guevara earned a "reputation for ruthlessness; a child in his guerrilla unit who had stolen a little food was immediately shot without trial." In his will, the book says, "this graduate of the school of terror praised the 'extremely useful hatred that turns men into effective, violent, merciless and cold killing machines.'"

Peruvian-born Alvaro Vargas Llosa penned his own book this year titled "The Che Guevara Myth." Mr. Vargas Llosa documents a twisted life, such as when Che shot a comrade and made the following entry in his diary: "I ended the problem with a .32 caliber pistol, in the right side of his brain. . . . His belongings were now mine." After that, Mr. Vargas Llosa says, Guevara shot "a peasant who expressed the desire to leave whenever the rebels moved on." Guevara also liked to simulate executions, as a form of torture. "At every stage of his adult life, his megalomania manifested itself in the predatory urge to take over other people's lives and property, and to abolish their free will."

Guevara was an architect of Cuba's forced labor camps, which by 1965 were transformed into concentration camps for dissidents, homosexuals, people with AIDS, Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Cubans of other religious sects.

All independent thought that refused to worship the communist state was an affront to Guevara. Christians were an especially difficult lot. From the earliest days after Castro took power, Che sent hundreds of men to face firing squads at the Havana prison known as La Cabaña. His victims could be heard at dawn loudly crying "Long live Christ the King, down with communism," just before the rifle shots rang out.

Thousands of Cubans have perished in daring attempts to get off the island because they preferred the risks of flight to a life in which Christianity has been forbidden, children are the property of the state, thought is policed and spying on your neighbor is one of the few ways to earn a living. During the Mariel boat lift in 1980, witnesses told of families arriving at the pier together only to be separated by Cuban guards who enjoyed watching their misery. Weeping mothers faced the point of a gun while their distraught sons and daughters were forced to board ships. This Christmas thousands of Cuban-Americans will remember their loved ones who didn't make it out or died trying.

Defenders of Guevara can't even claim that his cruelty brought about equality. Today state policy makes it a crime for the raggedly dressed, malnourished and mostly black Cuban people to visit the beaches, museums and amply stocked stores of their own country, while well-fed tourists in fashionable cruise-wear go where they like. This amounts to de facto apartheid.

Amazingly, hope is still alive in Cuba. One reason is because although Guevara was able to kill a lot of Christians, neither he nor his successors succeeded in wiping out Christianity. The struggling Christian community, which takes seriously the religious teaching to reject fear in the face of evil, is playing a key role in the island's dissident movement.

An icon of the Christian resistance is Oscar Elias Biscet, a black physician who is serving a 25-year sentence for his peaceful activism against the regime. He has been arrested more than 26 times since he began to express his dissent; he has been beaten, tortured and locked in tiny windowless cells for days on end. Hundreds of other prisoners of conscience are in jail, under atrocious conditions; many are also devout Christians.

The Christian faith has survived Che and Fidel and decades of brainwashing. It is battered but has not been defeated. Raul Castro fears it -- which is why he takes Bibles away from his unbreakable prisoners. The moral of the story seems to be that even the all-powerful regime cannot stop Christmas from coming to Cuba.

NO Che CD case for Christmas

2006-12-21T22:38:00.000-08:00

Target takes a positive step and removes from its shelves the Che (assassin) CD case. Some are astute enough to consider the facts and make the right decision...kudos to Target, but more so to those that pointed out their error.

via Babalú

Thanks for sharing your thoughts and feelings about the Che Guevara CD case. We have made the decision to remove this item from our shelves.

It is never our intent to offend any of our guests through the merchandise we carry and we sincerely apologize for any discomfort this situation may have caused our guests. We appreciate the time you’ve taken to write us and will pass your comments along to our buyers.

We always welcome your feedback, so if there’s ever any question you have about our products or service, please call our Target Guest Relations team at 800-440-0680. We also invite you to share your comments whenever you visit a Target store or on the Internet at www.Target.com.

I hope we’ll see you again soon at Target.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Hanson

Target Executive Office

Is Chavez learning from the mullahs?

2006-12-21T13:49:00.000-08:00

Archbishop Hugo Chavez?

Thursday , December 21, 2006

By Father Jonathan Morris

Try to imagine Venezuelan president, Hugo Chavez, dressed up as a bishop — the head bishop — of his own state-sponsored church.

According to media reports coming out of Latin America, President Chavez is considering a proposal that would establish him as the high priest of his own form of evangelical Christianity, convert his cabinet members into bishops of a lower rank, and submit church activities to the civil and military power of his government.

It is still unclear who is behind the proposal. Publicly, it has taken the form of a petition by leaders of “Centro Cristiano de Salvación” (Christian Center of Salvation). The association claims to represent 17,000 evangelical churches and 5,000,000 Venezuelans. Their request is simple: make their denomination the country’s official religion, teach it in all public schools and pay the pastors from government coffers. In turn, they will make Chavez their head bishop and promise to submit absolutely to his authority.

Chavez’ political critics say the petition is anything but spontaneous and independent. Edgar Zambrano, a deputy of the Venezuelan National Assembly, told the Spanish newspaper “El Mundo” that he has no doubt that “President Chavez is the one behind the proposed law.” Human rights groups are crying unfair play, warning this may be a government-orchestrated ploy to wrest away power from yet another sector of Venezuelan society, while allowing Chavez to appear to be merely acquiescing to popular acclaim.

Some call the Venezuelan leader “El Loco,” but if these reports are true, President Chavez deserves more credit. He may be crazy, but he’s not dumb. He promised the world that his recent re-election would launch the second phase of his so-called “Bolivarian Socialist Revolution” and he is now keeping his promise.

When I went to Venezuela last February to do commentary for Fox News about a large religious procession sponsored by the Catholic Church, it was clear Mr. Chavez was uncomfortable with the strength of the country’s traditional piety and how that the piety links its people to a higher, spiritual power and an international organization. Organizers of that event pledged more than 1,000,000 people would process peacefully in the streets of Barquisimeto. The crowds easily surpassed the official estimation.

On that festive day I saw Venezuelans proud to be Venezuelans. For a moment they could put aside political and social uncertainty and unite around faith.

I also saw the shrewd attempts of President Chavez to link himself to the success of the procession and manipulate the religious message into a purely nationalistic one of which he was the lone star. Hours before the procession, he interrupted all television and radio programming so he could deliver without competition his media message. He sent military jets to fly over the crowds with an impressive air-show of military might. He paid thousands of “volunteers” to wear government shirts and pass out free water bottles and pro-Chavez literature.

While human rights groups have always expressed concern for the long-term viability of religious liberty under a Chavez administration, until now, a wide range of denominations has been free to worship and operate independently of government control.

There has even been room for debate, and a little bit of give and take.

The Catholic Church, representing more than 90% of the population, has been a thorn in the side of President Chavez. For many years, the local body of Catholic bishops has reminded the president publicly and in no uncertain terms, of a politician’s responsibility to defend human rights, reject corruption and seek the common good of all citizens. A retired Vatican official and Venezuelan Cardinal, Rosalio Castillo Lara, has been fiercely critical of Chavez.

Most recently, however, Catholic leaders have taken a more conciliatory tone and the new Cardinal Archbishop of Caracas, Jorge Urosa Savino, has succeeded in building a relationship of mutual tolerance, if not respect.

Just one month into his new term, President Hugo Chavez is emboldened to carry out his full agenda of the Bolivarian Socialist Revolution.” What remains to be seen is whether this second stage will include religious liberty.

If not, we may end up calling him, “Your Excellency, Archbishop Chavez.”

God bless, Father Jonathan

Another commie monument to tear down

2006-12-20T07:58:00.000-08:00

I am going to take a shot in the dark, but I will wager that Tuxpan, Mexico is one of those dingy coastal Mexican towns where poverty abounds, clean running water is scarse, and sewage treatment is up to you. The mayor of Tuxpan, thinks that fidel castro is the cat's meow, you see, Tuxpan is where fidel and his band of thieves sailed from on the yatch Granma to reek havoc on the Cuban people. Now the comemierdas of Tuxpan want to build a replica of the Granma, and the people once more get screwed.

Is it me, or does that boat on the photo look like it is riding on the back of Cubans. It reminds me of the the movie "The Ten Commandments" where the great Egyptian cities were being built on the back of the enslaved Jewish nation, except that in this is case, it is the destruction of great Cuban cities and the enslavement of the people.

Construirán nueva réplica del yate Granma

México, 19 dic (RHC) Una nueva réplica del yate Granma en el que partieron 82 expedicionarios cubanos, encabezados por Fidel Castro, desde el puerto mexicano de Tuxpan para iniciar la lucha revolucionaria en Sierra Maestra, será construido con apoyo de la Intendencia de esa ciudad.

El alcalde de Tuxpan, Jerónimo Folgueras al referirse al líder y guía de la histórica travesía del yate Granma dijo que Fidel Castro está hoy más vivo que nunca y es el héroe que impulsó el liderazgo de uno de los proyectos sociales y culturales más importantes del mundo contemporáneo.

La nueva réplica, como la primera, construida en la década de los 80 será colocada en el poblado de Santiago de la Peña en las instalaciones del Museo de la Amistad México-Cuba, precisó Folgueras.

(f)idel is mojoneado with mural

2006-12-19T08:15:00.000-08:00

Artists have worked feverishly over a 6-day period to present the “cancer free,” but still dying coma-andante with a mural. His little and more effeminate bro raúl was present for the unveiling. The mural depicts the yacht Granma and other Cuban allegorical revolutionary symbols, a memorial to the 47-year old dark plague that has affected Cuba. The mural has been named "Liberty's arc"- where murderers landed in two by twos.

I have no problems with murals, the more the better. One day the people will decide to bring them down, as they did in Russia with Lenin, and in Iraq with Hussein. It is better to spend the time together bringing down murals and statutes than fighting with your fellow countrymen.

Artistas plásticos presentan un mural regalado a Fidel Castro

Un grupo de artistas plásticos cubanos han presentado hoy en el Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes un mural regalado al líder de la revolución Fidel Castro por su 80 cumpleaños, con la presencia del presidente interino de la isla, Raúl Castro, y el escritor colombiano Gabriel García Márquez.

La idea de crear el mural 'Arca de la libertad', un óleo del yate 'Granma' con simbologías alegóricas a la Revolución cubana, fue del pintor y escultor Alexis Leyva Machado, más conocido como Kcho, con el apoyo de otros catorce artistas, según informó la televisión estatal de la isla.

'Pretendimos un homenaje a la Revolución y a Fidel Castro y para ello convoqué a relevantes artistas plásticos cubanos y en seis días creamos este mural denominado: 'El Arca de la Libertad', explicó Kcho.

U.S. legislators in fact-finding mission to Cuba

2006-12-19T07:50:00.000-08:00

Goose stepping in Havana

2006-12-18T20:20:00.000-08:00

Bad gene pool

2006-12-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

While castro makes phone calls from hell’s antechamber, his little sister Juanita is not sure which one of his split personalities she likes best. Juanita here is news for you, the whole monster is foul, and needs to be thrown into the deepest fire hole of hell.

Reconoció que tiene una posición contrapuesta respecto a Fidel. “Para mí, Fidel es desde siempre dos personas distintas. Por una parte, el hermano mayor que amo, por quien sufro sabiendo que está enfermo y por la otra, el Castro político con quien no quiero tener nada que ver y que sería feliz si no hubiera subido jamás al poder”. [More]

Chavez: fidel does not have terminal cancer

2006-12-15T23:10:00.000-08:00

He is simply affected by death, which will cause him to die. But he is recuperating, and soon will continue to miss more important functions.

CUBAN leader Fidel Castro does not have cancer, but is fighting a "great battle" against a "very serious" illness, Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has said.

In the most extensive account of Castro's condition following weeks of rumors that he has cancer or is even dead, Mr Chavez said he remained optimistic and that his close ally had been in good spirits when they spoke by telephone on Thursday.

"Some comments have come out, that Fidel has a terminal cancer - Fidel does not have cancer," Mr Chavez told supporters in a celebration of his December 3 reelection.
[continued here]

Did she or did she not say it?

2006-12-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

La Ros is vehemently denying that she did NOT say she welcomed the assassination of the dictator in the Adidas suit. Listening to a clip from her interview in “638 Ways to Kill Fidel Castro” produced by British TV, it seems that she did say it. The congresswoman’s people claim that the video was doctored.

Read more about the story [here].

Todavía no ha pasado la tormenta

2006-11-29T17:22:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your e-mails and for waiting for my return, your words were very encouraging. Believe it has been hard to stay away. I know that there are better blogs that you can visit and read, and I am humbled by your support and comments. I am not still at the point where I can come back to this on a regular basis; however, I will make an effort to continue as time permits disseminating the truth about Cuba to the ignorant world.

Thank you...and ABAJO CASTRO! ¡Que se muera ya!

Amigos and visitors

2006-11-10T08:11:00.000-08:00

I am going to be pretty busy attending to the business that keeps my kids in college. Therefore, for the next few days things are going to be quiet around here. Please take this opportunity to visit the excellent blogs on the right margin of this page. We shall return soon!

Cuba blames the US for lack of Internet

2006-11-05T23:35:00.000-08:00

But it is clearly the regime that uses censorship to keep Cubans from the INTERNET. Read about Cuban official Juan Fernandez (appointed by el cafe Annan to an UN internet working group) squirm when challanged by an expert Internet engineer.

Cuba: We're forced to 'finance' the Internet

By Declan McCullagh
Story last modified Thu Nov 02 06:27:42 PST 2006

ATHENS, Greece--A Cuba government official told a United Nations summit here that the U.S. government was to blame for the poor Internet access that its citizens endure.

Juan Fernandez, a government official in the Cuba's Commission of Electronic Commerce, on Wednesday assailed the U.S. government's economic embargo and argued that, as a result, poorer countries are "financing" the Internet. U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan appointed Fernandez to a high-level working group two years ago.

Fernandez's only problem was that a longtime Internet engineer and researcher was present and challenged those claims. Bill Woodcock, research director of the nonprofit Packet Clearing House who has set up Internet exchange points in Latin America and other developing nations, replied by saying that the Cuban government's problems stem from its own telecommunications monopoly and its official censorship policies.

A report published last month by the Reporters Without Borders advocacy group says "it is forbidden to buy any computer equipment without express permission from the authorities," and spyware "installed in all Internet cafes automatically detects banned content." U.S. law exempts telecommunications equipment and service from the trade embargo (click here for PDF).

Read on for excerpts from the U.N. Internet Governance Forum's official transcript of the exchange during the plenary session.

Read the interchange [here].

Happy cows?

2006-11-04T10:39:00.000-08:00

The California Advisory Milk Board has a hilarious campaign to promote California cheese. You can actually view the TV commercials at www.realcaliforniacheese.com. The catch phrase is that “happy cows come from California,” thus the great cheese. Not to be outdone the state of Vermont wants it cows to be happy as well, but not in Vermont.

The 76 Vermont Holstein and Jersey heifers arrived at the Niña Bonita farm outside Havana last August. So far, Cuban officials are pleased with the cows' performance and their offspring. They say the cows are in good health and are continuing to adapt to Cuba's hot and humid climate.

The oddest thing about this story is not that the US is Cuba’s largest supplier of food stuff and pharmaceuticals in spite of the “horrible” blockade, but the request made by Cardinal Jaime Ortega.

The head of the Catholic Church in Cuba is considering acquiring a small number of cows as well.

"The new seminary we're building now is interested to have cows for the seminarians," said Cardinal Jaime Ortega, who stopped by Wright's booth at the fair.

Future child molesting priests need their calcium. How is it that the Cardinal can get his cows, and the everyday Juan Cuban cannot?

Australians pack your bags

2006-10-31T20:56:00.000-08:00

Because you are going to the communist paradise, where you will tour the best sites the revolution has to offer, and learn new dances like "Dengue Fever." So don't complain about some stupid blockade that is hardly enforced, and besides it does not apply to you. Ah, don't forget to visit Luis M. Garcia's blog, he will be happy to educate you before going and deprogram you after your return.

Is China too progressive for Cuba?

2006-10-30T21:27:00.000-08:00

The question has been posed many times and the answer has been that Cuba (the castro brothers) will not allow for the China style economic model to develop on the island. Is the Chinese model too advanced, too progressive for Cuba? This story should tell you something about that exemplary Chinese system; it is still brutal! A leopard cannot change its spots, they just come in different sizes.

Pro-democracy Journalist Sentenced in China
By Scott M. Fulton, III, BetaNews
October 26, 2006, 6:14 PM

Freelance journalist Li Jianping, who made his pro-democracy viewpoints known to the world from his Internet-based post inside China, was sentenced today in a court in Shandong province to a three-year prison term for "incitement to subvert state power."

As a participant in the 1989 demonstrations at Tiananmen Square -- an event which much of the world has forgotten in the wake of China's economic expansion -- Li became the unfortunate subject of a government campaign to quash dissident opinion.
The timing of Li's sentencing was suspect, as the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX) pointed out today. Li's trial began and ended last April, though under Chinese law, the court should have about 45 days to make a decision. Instead, it waited until the very day of a state visit by French President Jacques Chirac.

The group Reporters Without Borders, which has also campaigned actively in the past for the release of journalists held hostage in Iraq, stated, "This is a slap in the face for French diplomacy, which claims to be engaged in a 'constructive' dialogue on human rights, despite the lack of concrete results."

According to reports, the objection from the Chinese government does not seem to be that Li made reports to people within his own country, but instead that his pro-democracy views were accessible via the Internet, outside China's borders.

Meanwhile, just a few days earlier, Yang Xiaoqing, another Chinese reporter arrested last January after he alleged in a Chinese business publication that a state-owned enterprise had been corrupted, was convicted on a similar count as Li, but sentenced to time served and released. "Guilty but free," wrote Reporters Without Borders. "This decision is a half-measure that fails to cover up the fact that he was imprisoned for no reason."

According to IFEX, Li is the eighth Chinese Internet correspondent to receive a prison sentence this year.

Castrogula's video

2006-10-29T22:20:00.000-08:00

Lets not waste time and question the veracity of video showing the walking dead.

Despite the photo, Castro lives on

Observer foreign staff
Sunday October 29, 2006
The Observer

After the days, weeks and months of rumours - each one turning out to be unfounded - that Cuba's leader of half a century had died, then came the picture. It was grainy, oddly sourced, but the real question was: What does it show? Castro, 80, dead from his battle with stomach cancer? Or just another piece of fakery in the slow departure of Fidel?

The face, at least, was right. The skin lesions, more visible on the right side of his face in recent months, were there. So was the beard and thinning hair. Last weekend South America's media was full of rumours that Fidel had died. As the week wore on, Brazil's President Lula da Silva spoke of him in the past tense. But last night, a defiant Castro appeared on Cuban state television for the first time in over a month denouncing the recent rumours as 'ridiculous'.

Questions are still being raised, however, about the source of the picture with the latest speculation alleging it came from a security source in Venezuela. In the photograph the border of the ribbon around Castro's neck looks strangely blurred on one side, while on the other it appears too visible through the beard, suggesting, perhaps, a head put on another body using the Photoshop image manipulation software. The face bears an uncanny resemblance to a picture of Castro taken sitting on a rocking chair released last month. Speaking defiantly on Cuban television, Castro said: 'Let's see what they say now.'

Sunday Fu Fú for two

2006-10-29T20:29:00.000-08:00

The more time passes the more it seems like the peliroja and myself and the only two around for dinner. My son is a college junior, and my daughter is now applying, soon it will just be the two of us. The "Sunday Feast" as my soon used to call them have been reduced to a snack break. Yes, I am exaggerating a little, but I do miss having my whole family around me. Here is one of my Sunday's specials for two.

Start with a couple of good steaks. I prefer NY cut, but a tri-tip cut like the ones below will do just fine. Season with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.

A little fresh minced garlic.

Mash a couple of boiled green plantains into the minced fresh garlic, and extra virgin olive oil.

Garnish with cut ripe tomatoes, red onions, cilantro, olive oil and season to taste.

Oh, I forgot the steaks. SMOTHER THEM WITH ONIONS!

Bon Appétit.

Castro's walking cadaver appears on Cuban tele

2006-10-28T23:07:00.000-07:00

Le zumba el mango y le ronca los cojones, the old fossil appeared on video on Cuban television today wearing an Adidas tracksuit embroidered with “F. CASTRO.” I think that the “F” stands for “FUCK.” For about 7 minutes the ghostly castro read the national Cuban toilet paper (Granma), babbled a bunch of nonsense, walked, and even “used” the telephone; the telephone that he uses several times a day, according to him to talk to his "compañeros." He looks no better than he did 40 days ago, and makes less sense than ever.

They can show a thousand feet of video reel of the senile son of a bitch moving and talking, but as far as things go, he is as good as DEAD!

Check out the video by clicking [here].

H/T Abajo Fidel, Castrianism, Contactocuba

Cuba exports slave labor

2006-10-28T08:19:00.000-07:00

What does castro, inc. do with 11 million slaves at their disposal, and don’t have enough for them to do in Cuba’s decrepit economy. They export them, and make them do the worst and most dangerous jobs, with all the money going to castro’s coffers.

''We started work at 3 in the afternoon and kept working until 7 a.m. the following day,'' plaintiff Alberto Justo Rodríguez told The Miami Herald. ``We worked in the worst, most uncomfortable parts of the ship. Where nobody wanted to go -- that's where they sent the Cubans.''

112 HOURS A WEEK

According to the suit, the men often worked 112 hours a week.

Their wage amounted to 3 ½ cents an hour. Read the whole story [here].

Su mente no le pertenece a el

2006-10-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Su mente le pertenece a la revolución…su cuerpo, y su alma. Si no lo cree, pregúntele a la Dr. Hilda Molina. This dispatch from his Cuban owners.

Cuban Whiz to Mental Math World Cup

Havana, Oct 27 (Prensa Latina) The Cuban young male owner of two mental arithmetic Guiness records, Yusnier Viera Romero, will travel to Germany Friday to attend the second world cup of this subject.

The event will take place in Giessen city November 2-5 and be attended by 40 world guests, while the Cuban and a Peruvian are the first Latin Americans to participate in such a contest.

The 24 year-old Viera Romero is computer science graduate and works as arithmetic professor in Havana University.

The Guiness records recently introduced were seeking for dates of the calendar, a 19.8 second search breaking the previous record of 24.96 seconds and another for the best quantity of correct answers in a minute.

The well-known Cuban mental calculator told AIN he has systematically trained for this competition and he will do his best to boost Cuba´s reputation.

El commimierda Brown for attorney general

2006-10-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

When people refer to California as the “left” coast; some simply nod yes in some type of agreement. I believe that it is more moderate than leftist (notice I said leftist and not liberal), because what we do have here are some nut jobs that give us that leftist reputation, such much so, that some parts of the eastern US would not miss it if it fell into the ocean when the Big one hits. It would certainly put Colorado closer to the Pacific Ocean. After all we are the state that has produced some of the biggest commimierdas and sent them to the nation’s and state capitals; Maxine Waters, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Boxer and who was that ex-governor of the State?

Jerry Brown of singer Linda Ronstadt (who?) fame is now running for attorney general for the State of California, after a not so illustrious career as mayor of Oakland, CA (sister city Santiago de Cuba). Now you know where this is headed. Brown once had a dinner meeting that lasted 8-hours with the coma-andante, and he is still drooling. This guy (Brown) has been totally enamored with the Cuban dictators, and assassins like ché, people that have absolutely no concept or reality of justice, people that like to implement their own sanguine rule, these are people that Brown looks up to. Yes, go ahead and elect Brown…we will deserve no less than the Big one.

The Red Side of Brown
A look at Jerry Brown's very radical friends.
by Kevan Blanche
10/27/2006

JERRY BROWN has been an unabashed and stalwart devotee of left-wing politics throughout his career, but in recent years he has led many to believe that he has joined the political mainstream. Nothing could be farther from the truth, and as mayor of Oakland, Brown has once again reaffirmed his longtime sympathies for leftist causes, while consistently working to undermine U.S. foreign policy with regard to Cuba's communist regime.
Read the rest [here].

Funeral of epic proportions

2006-10-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

Check it out: Babalu has a great post on the planned funeral for a prince of communism. Sainthood will shortly follow.

How the times are a changing

2006-10-24T22:24:00.000-07:00

Remember when communists were just content to kiss...

and now they must show the world their love toys...

Hugo Chavez Political Roundup

2006-10-22T22:43:00.000-07:00

This just in, the coma-andante fidel castro is still in a coma? dead? Well, he wasn't there at Hugo's SNL gathering of The Killers. His (fidel) appearance is promised for next week.

Por la izquierda mi hermano

2006-10-22T10:40:00.000-07:00

At the grocery store when asked, paper or plastic, I always choose plastic. Plastic is stronger, reusable and durable. I tend to use the bag one more time after the groceries are unloaded; picking up the poop the left behind by my Rat Terrier (Tanner T. Rex).

In Cuba, plastic grocery bags are considered contraband and are illegal except “in state-run stores.” The bags are a key element in the daily survival of Cubans, as these are a must have should a black market deal come up and the opportunity of providing a sustentative meal for the family.

The Washington Post has a story of a thriving black market in Cuba. Making a deal in the black market for rice and beans in Cuba is reminiscent of an illicit drug deal elsewhere in the world, and you can end up in prison just the same.

In Cuba, 'On the Left' Means A Flourishing Black Market
Guile and Caution Employed to Counter Chronic Shortages
By Manuel Roig-Franzia
Sunday, October 22, 2006; A14

HAVANA -- Most mornings a woman with darting brown eyes lingers here in the sticky hot corner of an open-air vegetable market.

She effects a casual stance, elbow propped nonchalantly against a cigar stand, waiting for the regulars. If she nods, her customers follow her to a side street.
A few quick, nervous glances and the woman reaches inside her blouse. From her bra, she removes her contraband -- neatly folded plastic grocery sacks, illegal except in state-run stores.

Five for one cent.

Read the rest of story [here].

44 years; little result

2006-10-22T09:46:00.000-07:00

On October 22nd, 1962, President Kennedy announced an air and naval blockade of Cuba, following the discovery of Soviet missile bases on the island.

The planes are gone, the navy is not there, and the missiles are gone too.

The oppressive castro monarchy remains. Resigned is the world that change will only come with the "natural" death of the bearded king.

Chillin' the champagne, por si acaso

2006-10-22T09:06:00.000-07:00

I have had a bottle of champagne chilling in my refrigerator since God knows when. I do rotate the bottle to keep it fresh, remember champagne does not age well like wine. The bottle has been there for the day when Cuba’s sumo hijo de puta draws his last breath. Oh, please do not be offended, I am not celebrating “someone’s” death; I am celebrating a people’s prospect freedom.

This morning the bottle is still in my refrigerator chilling at a constant 40 degrees F, perfect for champagne.

According El Café Cubano and Killcastro, and the rumors coming out of Venezuela, I may have to pop that baby open before the day is over.

Raúl makes second change in Cuban government

2006-10-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Raúl “el todo poderoso” castro makes his second change in Cuba’s government since inheriting the island from his brother fidel. The new Minister of Transportation is now José Luis Sierra Cruz, sacked is Carlos Manuel Pazos Torrado. At 45 years old, Sierra Cruz is a member of the Political Bureau and of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC). Raúl’s first change was when he made Ramiro Valdés Menendez the Minister of Informatics and Communications.

Castro is in a coma?

2006-10-20T08:19:00.000-07:00

Contacto Magazine reports that two distinct sources have provided information that the dictator’s health has deteriorated significantly in recent days and that he is in a coma. Even dough raúl and other Cuban officials were going about touting the dictator's miraculous recuperation.

The crisis (going into coma)happened in a matter of hours. Contacto states that the sources preferred to remain anonymous (no kidding!).

Just a couple of days ago the Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula referred to castro in a speech as if he were already DEAD. Was this a slip of the oratory organ or not?