CubaNostalgia Day 2, closing thought

During the late afternoon I walked over to one of the food kiosks to grab some lunch. I bought my meal and asked a couple who was sitting at one of the few tables if I could join them. After a little while a gentleman came over and asked if we knew where they might be selling beer. I told him that at the Bacardi bar they were selling Hatuey. After he left I started a conversation with my table mates by saying that in Cuba now they have Cristal and Bucanero. They looked at me and said, that stuff is terrible. The woman, who appeared to be in her 40s, said the people who make the stuff steal the ingredients like they do at all places of employment in Cuba.

I got deeper into the conversation with them and asked when they came over. It was 1993 and 1995 respectively. I wanted to get a feel for how they felt about the traditional exile community and asked point blank, "what do you think about the idea that the exile community is divided?"

The woman instantly responded, "I don't think the exile community is divided, I think there's a lot communists who have infiltrated it and are paid to say it's divided."

PS: I was expecting a visitor to our booth today that never came, or at least he didn't make his presence known. Too bad.

Meet the author: Jaime Suchlicki

We've gathered several authors to sign books here at CubaNostalgia. One of them is Jaime Suchlicki. The book he is promoting is Breve Historia de Cuba.

He took some time to discuss the book with me this afternoon but unfortunately my battery died.

As he mentioned, the book is a Spanish translation of his his English work Cuba from Columbus to Castro which was required reading in my High School. Dr. Suchlicki will be here tomorrow as well.

Limbo against oppression

In today's episode of People-to-People Contacts we learn that if you can't beat 'em, dance for 'em.

Limbo, on the beach. Apparently nobody told these folks that you're not allowed crawl under the limbo stick:

Dancing with the stars this ain't. We'll call it dancing with the indentured servants:

Tony Mendoza

One of my favorite things about CubaNostalgia is the wide range of art available to view and purchase. And I'm particularly fond of Tony Mendoza. Yesterday I posted a short video about the goings on here at the show and I featured Tony and some of his art. Here's some screen captures.

Tony has a fun and colorful style, here's a favorite piece:

A couple of years ago I bought this piece from Tony.

I asked him if I could use it for my feature at CubanAmericanPundits.com called Ask a Cuban-American. Tony graciously said yes.

Check out his web site. One of the unique things Tony does is house portraits. These are particularly cool if you live in a unique home.

More on Cuba Solidarity Day

News Blaze, a site I have been critical of in the past, has a nice write-up on Cuba Solidarity day.

Azucar!

I have yet to visit the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts. I've been wanting to but I just haven't gotten around to doing it. Now I have a REAL REASON to do it.

Not concerned...

From AFP:

HAVANA (AFP) — Cuba's recent social and economic reforms do not include allowing greater access to the Internet, authorities in the Americas' only one-party communist state said.

"Cuba is not concerned with the individual connection of its citizens to the Internet," said deputy minister for Computer Science and Communications, Boris Moreno, on Friday.

The most dangerous woman in Cuba

Yoani Sanchez is the most dangerous woman in Cuba. Though not currently in custody she continues to act with impunity.

What makes her dangerous?

1. She has confessed to joining words and phrases together withOUT permission. Not only that, she has taken one step further by publishing those words on the internet. Very dangerous for the castro regime indeed.

2. The words and phrases she has joined are candid and truthful, the most damaging kind. She has highlighted the arbitrary and capricious policies of the castro regime and even ridiculed them. That is not permissible.

3. She has been recognized internationally by news organizations and others, bringing praise upon herself rather than upon the revolution, of which she is critical.

For these reasons and more Yoani Sanchez is the most dangerous woman in Cuba.

The most dangerous man in Cuba

Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet is the most dangerous man in Cuba. That's why he's in prison right now doing 25 years. What were his crimes?

1. He disagrees with the regime because of its abuses in the area of human rights. GUILTY as CHARGED.

2. He's a doctor who denounced Cuba's use of undocumented abortions to keep its vaunted child mortality rates low. GUILTY as CHARGED.

3. He's black. The revolution was created for blacks like him. Not for blacks like him to complain about it. GUILTY as CHARGED.

4. He's guided by his Christian conscience. The revolution does not officially believe in any higher power than the revolution. GUILTY as CHARGED.

5. He's a repeat offender. Upon completing a 3-year prison term Dr. Biscet was arrested 36 days later for continuing to demand that human rights be observed in Cuba. GUILTY as CHARGED.

Here's what you can do:

1. Sign the petition asking for freedom for ALL of Cuba's political prisoners, including Biscet.

2. Visit the Cuba Solidarity web site. Cuba Solidarity day is May 21st. You can participate in one of the events scheduled for that day or organize one in your area.

3. You can spread the word. This May 21st, let the world hear from you.

Meet our Cuba Nostalgia Neighbors

Capital Cigars
10826 NW 58 St.
305 477-7427

Great cigars, great neighbors. Mention Babalu, get 10% off.

Cuba Nostalgia Images

Domino!

Herald.com video on CubaNostalgia

Video here.

Feeling Nostalgic

As we prepare for day two at Cuba Nostalgia, I want to pause before what I know will be a frenzied day, filled with everything that thousands of Cubans coming together to celebrate being Cuban entails. I want to share what I believe is the essence of what this gathering is about, from one who does not live in Miami.

That is the wonderful feeling of being home, where you are comfortable really letting down your hair, and saying what you think without having explain yourself, because you're understood. Politics are personal, and what a joy it is being around like-minded people. You meet, you converse, you laugh and cry, and you hug and kiss. No stiff standoffishness here, just one very large Cuban hug.

After just day one day, I have a heart full of memories to savor. Old friends, and new, looking ahead, I'm already feeling nostalgic, I'm already missing you.

Joining words and phrases illegally

Since Yoani Sanchez and her blog, Generación Y, came to the forefront several months ago, many have asked the following question: how is it that, uncharacteristically, the castro regime has allowed her to operate relatively unimpeded? There have been attempts to block her blog on the island but she has made no reference to threats coming her way or other types of coercion the castro regime in Cuba is known for.

Well that's changing. In her latest post, Yoani tells us that it is, in fact, starting to get hot in the kitchen. Her response, however is not one that the regime is going to like. It's typical Yoani. Sarcastic and cutting. Errors in translation are mine:

Complaint - Allegation - Confession
I was warned that on the table in an office lies "my case". A full dossier of evidence of offenses committed, a growing file of illegalities that I have accumulated over the years. The neighbors insinuate that I should disguise myself with sunglasses and disconnect phone whenever I want to talk privately. Little, very little -they clarify- can be done at this point so that they won’t knock on my door one morning very early.

In anticipation of that, I want to point out that I do not keep weapons under the bed. However, I have committed a heinous and systematic crime: I have thought of myself as a free person. Nor do I have a concrete plan to change things, but in me complaints have replaced triumphalism and that's –definitely- punishable. I could never slap anyone, however I refused to accept the systematic slapping of my "civic self". The latter is extremely reprehensible. On top of that, and despite not having taken anything from someone else, I have wanted to "steal" -repeatedly- what I thought belonged to me: an island, its dreams, its legacies.

What’s more, don’t be fooled, I’m not entirely innocent. I've committed lots of misdeeds: I bought systematically on the black market, I’ve commented in a low voice -and in critical terms- about those that govern us, I have nicknames for politicians and communed with pessimism. To make matters worse, I have committed the abominable offense of believing in a future without "them" and a version of history that is different from what they taught me. I repeated the slogans without conviction, I aired dirty laundry in plain view of all, and –a maximum transgression- I have joined phrases and words together without permission.

I declare -and I accept the punishment that pertains to me- that I was not able to survive and comply with all the applicable laws at the same time.

Yes, the most dangerous thing for the castro regime is that people might join words and phrases together in impermissible ways...

Please click over to Yoani's blog and check the picture she chose for the post. The words in the picture say "I'm watching you".

H/T: Ernesto

Karaoke for the political prisoners

In today's episode of People-to-People Contacts we witness the power that song has to lay waste to 50 years of tyrannical oppression.

New York, New York performed by Drunk, Drunk, Cannucks, Cannucks

And here's another freedom song, by the Candian Elvis of course:

Spontaneous Party

Did I say Fridays were slow at CubaNostalgia? It was slow until this party spontaneously erupted and made its way in front of our booth.

"Wish I Was There!'

Forgive me for mangling a Pink Floyd lyric but : "Wishin' I was There."

Here's a fun link for anyone with time on their hands

CubaNostalgia, Day 1 video

Friday is a usually hectic for the exhibitors but slow in terms of actual attendees. It's really an opportunity for the media to come and get some images for the news tonight. Anyway, here's a slice of Day 1.

The embargo, part 4013

The last few days I’ve been posting Cuban vacation videos that people upload to youtube. They have inspired yet another round of debate about the embargo. The thing that gets me about this debate is how simplistic the arguments from embargo opponents are. “Well, it hasn’t worked in 50 years” is the most popular. We can all agree that the embargo hasn’t toppled the regime, not that that was the original goal, but it’s not an either/or situation. Getting rid of the embargo doesn’t guarantee the desired outcome, but there are some very undesirable outcomes that are probable if we drop the embargo without obtaining concessions from the Cuban (mis)government. What am I referring to? Well, consider what lowering the embargo REALLY means.

1. We would be rewarding and legitimizing this man:

Yes, that’s a young raul castro, dictator jr. strapping a blindfold on a man about to be executed. Someone recently told me the embargo was morally unacceptable. Well to me it’s morally unacceptable to forget the man in the blindfold and the many others who have met their fate at the hands of raul the munificent, granter cellular phones and microwave ovens.

2. And what about political prisoners like Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet, whose freedom is a current requirement for removal of sanctions against Cuba?

What message do we send Biscet and the other political prisoners if we decide tomorrow that Cuba is just another country with which to conduct business as usual? How does removing the embargo get us any closer to obtaining their freedom?

3. Now, consider that removing the embargo means that Cuba would be open to American tourism. Many see this as potentially destabilizing to the regime. I don't. As I have shown, Canadian and European tourists flood the island and act like…well they act like tourists. Which is fine under normal circumstances but it strikes me as a bit ridiculous to be frolicking in an all-inclusive resort while outside the walls there’s no human rights. The idea that tourists bring with them the magic bullet that will kill the regime has been disproved over the last 15 years.

4. And it’s not just American tourists that would gain access to the island, it’s American corporations. Under current Cuban policies American companies that would do business in Cuba would HAVE TO do it as minority partners in joint ventures with Cuban STATE OWNED enterprises. So the United States goes from a position of condemning the castro regime and restricting trade with it to a position of sanctioning trade with it and American corporations would become business partners with bloody murderers like the one pictured above.

5. Not to mention the fact that there’s about $8 billion worth of American assets that castro, inc. stole that hasn’t been resolved yet. Is raul the munificent going to give the “Havana Libre” back to the Hilton corporation? Doubtful? So what we end up saying is that you can steal from the U.S. as long as you remain recalcitrant for 50 years all will be forgiven, borrón y cuenta nueva.

The problem here is the same fundamental problem we’ve had for 50 years. The regime doesn’t change because it does not want to change. Even in the face of extreme privation in the 1990s the reforms implemented by castro, inc. were miniscule and they were rolled back once Chavez’ petrodollars replaced Soviet subsidies. The things that weren't rolled back were those that the regime could manipulate to its advantage with little or no downside from its perspective, like allowing the aforementioned drunken tourists to visit.

There is no doubt that removal of the embargo given the present structure of the Cuban economy can serve only to STRENGTHEN the financial position of the regime. I challenge anyone to explain to me how that gets Cubans closer to freedom.

The key words are PRESENT STRUCTURE. We’ve heard a lot of talk about the Chinese model in Cuba but it has not YET been implemented. There’s still no private property rights, there’s no significant private sector economy allowed. There’s no competition for labor or other resources.

I DO BELIEVE in the power of free trade to democratize, under the right circumstances. I don’t think the regime would last 12 months under the Chinese model. Cuba is not China. And that's the exact reason the regime has not implemented the Chinese model to date. The purpose of a totalitarian regime is perpetuate its power. Castro, inc., it’s chairman and its board of directors simply aren’t going to put themselves out of business. They’re just looking for another in the long list of suckers they’ve conned over half a century.

Where can I check the list?

So, yesterday, I'm at home and in the middle of preparing everything for this weekend. My car was in the shop and so I was driving a loaner from the dealership. They call me to tell me my car is ready and I'm happy because it's one less thing that I'd have to do today. I run out to the driveway to get going because the shop is going to close in a little while and I just want to make sure I get there in time.

A car pulls up in the driveway, it's the husband of the woman who takes care of my kids during the day. He's there to pick her up. We'll call him "A." A. is young Cuban man, probably in his early 30s. He hasn't been in the U.S. too long and he works pumping concrete for a construction company. He says hello to me in Spanish and then, "Meet my dad." I remember that "I." , the woman who takes care of my kids, told me A.'s dad had come from Cuba last week.

I shake the old man's hand and A. says to me, "I was telling him about your old car." He is referring to the Dodge Polara that I'm restoring. So I look at my watch and I look at the old man with a look of expectation on his face and I say, "let me open the garage door."

The old man's face brightens when he sees the car. He asks me what year the car is and I tell him: 1966. He looks at his son and says, "Yeah, we never got these in Cuba. The last year we saw American cars was 1960." I thought about it for a moment. There's about 48 years worth of American cars the man has never seen. To him, my Polara was new. He said to me, "That's a different emblem on the hub caps. They changed it." I tell him yes, they changed it. And I try to explain to him that it's now a Ram, fumbling for the Spanish word for Ram. I still don't know the right word.

I pop the hood and show him the engine. He looks at it, impressed but tells me "Dodges had a reputation for being troublesome to fix." I nod in agreement.

I close the hood and we head to the back, where I show him the trunk. I sneak a peak at my watch as I close the trunk lid. Just then A. says, "Dad, maybe you should ask him. He knows a lot of stuff about Cuba." I look at them puzzled. There can't be anything that I know about Cuba these two don't already know.

A.'s father: I heard something about a memorial, white crosses.

Me: Yes, it's the Cuban Memorial, where crosses are displayed for all the victims of the regime. They do it once a year. They are raising funds for a permanent memorial.

A.'s father: Where can I check the list?

Me: I can probably check on the internet.

Then A.'s father pulls out a little notebook, the size of a credit card. He opens it up to a page and shows me a list of about seven names. Now I don't hesitate. I head inside the house and get the laptop. I come out and go directly to the Cuban Memorial web site. I find the PDF of the list of victims. He reads me the first name and I find it on the list. I read him the date of death and the location: Matanzas. He nods in acknowledgment. We go down the list and of the seven, four are accounted for. The other three don't appear.

I was overwhelmed with emotion. This man knew he was coming to America, he had heard about an effort to document castro's victims and made it his personal mission to find out whether or not his friends had been forgotten. I was saddened that, in fact, some of his friends been lost to history.

If you have some money to spare, you might want to donate to The Cuban Memorial.

The Real Cuba on Mano Limpia

Watch it live HERE.

Posted by Alberto de la Cruz

CubaNostalgia Day 1: Chaos

Well we're here at CubaNostalgia and it's a typical snafu. We don't have our DSL line up and running yet but luckily we're getting a weak signal from Miami-Dade County. Little kids screaming at a karaoke booth down the way are making it so you can't even think much less get organized.

Photos coming soon.

And so it begins...

Day one at Cuba Nostalgia...

If you come looking for us, this is where we will be. Enjoy the music, food, art and the people of this 10th anniversary of Cuba Nostalgia. We're looking forward to meeting you.

Interpol Confirms Chavez Link to Farc

Here you have it folks. Interpol, confirms the authenticity of the computer files linking El Burro to the FARC, a terrorist organization. From the WSJ:

Interpol yesterday issued its findings on the authenticity of the computer files seized from Colombian terrorists in March, and they won't make Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chávez's day.

"We are absolutely certain that the computer exhibits that our experts examined came from a FARC terrorist camp," said Robert Noble, head of the international police agency. "No one can ever question whether or not the Colombian government tampered with the seized FARC computers."
[Hugo Chavez]

Mr. Chávez has denied the link between his government – and himself personally – and the drug-dealing FARC, a Marxist "liberation" group that has terrorized Colombia for decades. He claims that the documents seized earlier this year in a Colombian military raid in Ecuador are forgeries designed to prepare an invasion of Venezuela by the Bush Administration. No doubt he'll stick to that story. If so, he'll have to add Interpol – and the Australian and Singaporean forensic experts who examined the files – to the list of conspirators.

Among other things, the documents detail personal meetings between Mr. Chávez and senior FARC leaders and the provision of money and materiel to the "rebels." Of a $250 million "loan" from Venezuela to FARC, Venezuela's Interior Minister wrote in one email, "Don't think of it as a loan, think of it as solidarity." The documents also describe Venezuela providing FARC with rocket-propelled grenades – and training in the Middle East on how to use them to shoot down Colombian military aircraft.

Interpol's certification proves that Mr. Chávez is trying to destabilize a U.S. ally. Maybe even Bill Delahunt (D., Mass.) and Mr. Chávez's other friends in the U.S. Congress will now have second thoughts about doing business with a proven supporter of terrorism in our own hemisphere.

So here it is proven that Chavez is a state sponsor of terrorism. Just like his buddies in Iran. Mr. Obama wants to meet with these clowns unconditionally which will give these clowns more credibility and which is clearly appeasement. Yet Obama and the Dems get bent out of shape about W's speech yesterday. The truth hurts Barack.

CANF speaker, guess who

Well it looks like Barry Obama, is going to address the Cuban American National Foundation for their luncheon next week celebrating Cuban independence day. Not only that, it seems like they changed the date to accommodate him:

According to Frank Sanchez of Tampa, Obama’s adviser on Latin American affairs, CANF has agreed to alter the date of its annual celebration of Cuban Independence Day, May 20, to hold its celebration luncheon on May 23, during Obama’s May 21-23 tour of Florida. Obama will speak at the lunch.

May 20, 1902, was the date Cuba achieved independence from Spain, and tratitionally has been the biggest celebration day of the year for CANF.

CANF spokesmen couldn’t be reached to confirm or deny the report late Wednesday—the organization’s web site still announces the date of the lunch as May 18.

But it seems likely the group’s political loyalty could be up for grabs. Its former executive director, Joe Garcia, is a Democrat, running for Florida’s District 25 U.S. House seat from Miami against Mario Diaz-Balart, one of the staunchest supporters of hard-line anti-Castroism in South Florida.

No word on whether the "reincarnation of JFK" will be bringing the venerable Jeremiah Wright to bless damn America but sure to be there are rose petals and unicorns:

The best thing about the upcoming election is that we're finally going to put to rest the idea of a massive flight to the Democratic party among Cuban-Americans.

Monkeys, terrorists, and the $100 fill up

The simian wannabe king of Venezuela, monkey-boy chavez, is up to his usual monkeyshines. Along with the Iranian theocracy, chavez is trying to drive up the price of oil higher and higher.

Do you wonder why the price of oil has skyrocketed of late? Purportedly the governments of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela are engaged in a major covert effort to keep the world's oil tanker fleets from carrying petroleum to the thirsty global markets that need it. This is according to reliable sources who monitor the tanker industry, and sources within the American law enforcement community. The Iranian government has leased and engaged the bulk of the available supertankers, and smaller vessels and is storing oil in ten of them in the Persian Gulf, and keeping others idle whilst under lease or charter. The government of Venezuela is allegedly assisting Iran in this manipulative practice, which has resulted in the tripling of the daily charge for tanker use since April, because of a fifty per cent drop in vessel availability during the next thirty days, this is according to authoritative industry sources. Is this the functional equivalent of a declaration of economic war against the United States? What will the response be, and when will it occur?

Welcome to 21st Century Socialism.

Read the entire text of this very informative and interesting article HERE.

More on Museum of New York City

Earlier this week I posted an email from Babalu commenter Mandingo to the Museum of the City of New York about the omission of Father Felix Varela from their exhibit about Catholics in New York from 1808 to 1946.

Today I received the following email from Barbara Livenstein, the VP of Communications (public relations) for the museum:

To the editors of the Babalublog:

We wish to set the record straight about the inclusion of Father Felix Varela (1788-1853) in the Museum of the City of New York exhibition opening tomorrow, May 16. One of the overarching themes of Catholics in New York 1808-1946 is the diversity of the city’s Catholic community. In a section of the exhibition addressing Lithuanians, French, Germans, Italians, Irish, and many other groups of people united by Catholic faith, is a Spanish-language bible, among other artifacts, with the accompanying label copy:

La Biblia Sagrada A Saber: El Antiguo & El Nuevo Testamento Traducidos De La Vulgata Latina En Español Nueva-York: Edicion Estereoptica por A. Chandler, 1824

Catholic bibles in Spanish were available to the city’s small Spanish-speaking community in the early 19th century, beginning with this first New York imprint from 1824. Diplomats from Spain helped to create the city’s first church, and Spanish-speaking leaders played a formative role in Catholic New York. Among them was Cuban-born Felix Varela (1788-1853), now a candidate for canonization, who ministered to Irish immigrants and became a diocesan vicar general. Although the community grew slowly during the 19th century, immigration from the Caribbean accelerated after the Spanish-American War in 1898 and by World War II, East Harlem became a destination for Puerto Rican migrants.

The exhibition is a social and political history of the many, many Catholic people who helped shape their parishes and—at the same time—reshape the larger community of New York City. This is noted by New York Times reporter Glenn Collins in his Metro Section article today (“Persecuted to Powerful: Exhibiting a History of New York’s Catholics”). He writes: “Among the various Catholic groups worshiping in the city were African-Americans, Slovaks, Czechs, Lithuanians, Hungarians, Ukrainians, and Hispanics (on view is an 1842 Spanish Bible) including an influx of Puerto Rican Catholics after the Spanish-American War in 1898.”

Please note that the Cuban-born Father Varela is indeed included in this groundbreaking exhibiiton [sic], which addresses itself to discrimination and oppression experienced by all of New York’s Catholics without focusing exclusively on any group united by national origin or ethnic background.

Barbara Livenstein
Vice President of Communications
Museum of the City of New York

Fair enough but this whole episode began when Alyson Cluck, a "Communications Associate" of the museum (presumably and underling of Ms. Livenstein) sent the following in an email to Mandingo:

Unfortunately there won't be anything in the exhibition specifically about Felix Varela.

Holiday in Cuba

In today's episode of People-to-People Contacts we witness these soldiers of democracy engaging in fun and frivolity, exactly the medicine to cure a country of a totalitarian dictatorship.

How to wake up a drunk tourist:

Link in case video does not work.

Canadians will surely topple the dictatorship with their lack of rhythm:

Link in case video does not work.

Joedilocks' fundraising shenanigans

Joe Garcia is under the FEC's microscope. At issue are several campaign contributions which Garcia reported that exceed the legal limits. Here's a copy of the letter from the FEC to Garcia's campaign.

I'm going to chalk this up to stupidity rather corruption. Just like everything else about Garcia, this is bush league.

Without Comment

Speaking of literal "people to people exchanges," read this travel piece from the Brit bringers of democracy down Havana way. I kid you not. Oh, well, I'll allow myself one comment: "Que despretigio! "

A Growing Chorus?

I was wading through the newsstand at my local bookstore when I came across the Americas Quarterly. Lo and behold, they have a special section in the Spring 2008 Issue entitled "Cuba: Until When?" For most of us, the information is not new- the continued repression, the newly liberated and unaffordable appliances, the church’s preoccupation with its own status, and the disaffection of the people. There is an interesting discussion as to why the people do not rebel, and there are some additional sidebars of interest: moving excerpts from the prison diary of Normando Hernandez (see profile here on Uncommon Sense) who is in ill health and a write-up of Yoani Sanchez.

The one fly in the ointment, so to speak, is the position that lifting the embargo and travel restrictions will help liberate the people. They acknowledge that doing so will enrich the coffers of the regime, but they also maintain that it will be impossible for the regime to keep as tight a rein. No people to people exchanges here. Personally, if we could peacefully overrun the country, I would be all for it. Somehow, though, I don’t think that’s what the misgovernment would allow.

Unfortunately, there are only teasers available online here.

Cross-posted at NinetyMiles

If Obama Wins, This is What You'll Get from the Courts

Yes folks, if Obama wins and picks a few Supreme Court Justices, this will be the result ....

I just finished reading the opinion from the California Supreme Court. It's made up law folks. Judicial activism at its worst. There's no fundamental constitutional right in the California or in the federal constitution to same sex marriage. The legislature can enact laws to authorize it, which is how it should be, through the electoral and legislative process. But what the court did here, was make it up by judicial fiat and essentially invalidated the result of an election.

If proponents of same sex marriage want it to become law, put it on the ballot or to the legislature and if it passes, then fine. That's democracy. But once again, to use the courts to subvert the legislative process perverts the system. If you want liberal activists judges who will make up the law to reach a specific result that is not in the Constitution, then vote for Obama. And perhaps, you will see the above referenced opinion will be published not just in the California Reporter, but in the Supreme Court reporter and will become the law of the land.

You've been warned .....

A Letter for Biscet

We posted a call from Dr. Biscet's daughter Winnie this week asking for letters of support to be sent to her imprisoned father on Father's Day. I received this from long time reader and supporter Matthew H. that moved me and turned on the old waterworks:

Val,

I was reading your blog this morning, as I do every morning, and I saw the request from Winnie Biscet. Unfortunately, she needs this in Spanish. My Spanish is limited to cervesa, cajones, and a few other choice words, so I was wondering if you could do a little translating for me. I would really appreciate it mostly because I would like Dr. Biscet to know that his support is not only limited to Spanish speaking peoples. (Also, if you want to edit some words to be more appropriate, you have my permission - even other "choice words" for castro.)

Thank you in advance, but if you do not have the time, I will forward it to Winnie with the same request. Or, if you think it is inappropriate, please let me know that also. (respectfully, MH)

Dr. Biscet,

Here I am in Washington DC complaining about an extra 15-minute trip to work, complaining about the person standing in front of me so I cannot rush up the escalator, and complaining that my McDonald's breakfast has gotten cold. I cannot imagine what you have endured for a country and people that you love. Like you, I love Freedom, the country of Cuba, and the proud people that it has raised. And like you, I am disturbed that it has been destroyed by a villainous thug and his brother.

Dr. Biscet, what you are enduring now is not only for the benefit of Cubans everywhere, but for simple people like me. We go to work every day, oblivious to the cancer that is eating at the jewel just south of our borders. While I am sure you have the support of those forced to leave for the love of their families, it was only for their families that they endure their exile from that beloved land. As a husband and father I understand the torture of being separated from family, as a patriot, I know the pain of watching your home being systematically pillaged, and as a human I fear for the loss of my Freedom. But, I cannot imagine all this thrust upon a few men like yourself who are removed from life only because they seek the freedom that every man should enjoy.

I can do little for your cause but pray. I cannot contribute anything but words. I only hope that you knowing many more people who are not Cuban also support you and keep you in our prayers.

I do see in the near future, though, a free Cuba, a Cuba where families can visit and travel to or from ANY country, a prosperous Cuba, and a Cuba where a celebration of life is daily and out of the dark that is castro.

You are the cornerstone of that future and the foundation of the Nueva Cuba.

Matthew H.
Manassas, VA

I am incredibly pressed for time, so if there's someone out there that has a few minutes to translate this touching letter, please do so and post it either in the comments here or email it to me or Winnie.

Ees crazee tine

We have until 5pm today to have our exhibit space at Cuba Nostalgia rockin' and roarin' to go. My esteemed colleague Henry "Niño Bitongo" Gomez and I put together the exhibit frame yesterday afternoon in a convention center with no air conditioning. Luckily, our other esteemed colleague, Ziva "The Water Bearer," brought us some much needed cold, bottled water just in the nick of time, about one minute and 23 seconds before I passed out from dehydration. We've got a full day ahead of us, building tables and chairs, carrying a heck of a lot of boxes and containers, bringing in the TV, computer equipment, modems and routers, wiring up all the electronics and then praying they all work, chasing down the telephone guy and pestering him until he gets our number connected, calling ATT and begging, pleading they get the DSL running ASAP (They connected the phone line last week and tested for DSL, but did so in the wrong building!), hanging banners, putting up easels with poster boards, picking up this, oops I forgot that, where the hell's the freaken...etc. . .

Unlike previous years, we are not selling anything at the convention this year to help defer the costs so please, if you could spare a sawbuck or two, consider dropping them in the Cuba Nostalgia till.

It's crunch time, folks. The rest of the day will be one crazy, hectic, stress filled adventure, followed by three,14 hour days of Cuba Nostalgia conventioneering. To say Im exhausted with this plus everything else would be an understatement. Come Monday, post tear down, I, and Im sure the rest of the crew, will be picadillo. Moli'os.

If you have yet to sign the Petition for the Release of Cuba's Political Prisoners, please do so now and, once again, pass the link along to anyone that will listen. Flood everyone's email boxes with the thing. We are dedicating one large sreen TV and a couple of computers at the convention specifically to get folks to sign the petition as well as chasing people down for three days at Cuba Nostalgia and getting them to sign on. I'm determined to get as many signatures as possible, and I have no shame and a cara dura, thus I will do anything I have to to get petition signatures. Im sure you all dont want to see me shave my legs again, now, do you?

We have some great stuff planned for the convention which we'll be posting about tonight or tomorrow morning, plus a super special surprise which we'll reveal some time over the weekend.

Have a great day, folks. And Im sure I speak for the rest of the Babalu crew when I say we're all looking forward to seeing and meeting you at the Cuba Nostalgia Convention this weekend. Bring Kleenex.

Cigar Mike Discovers America

Happy Thursday infidels. Today I take you to one of the crown jewels in the National Park System, Zion National Park in Springdale, Utah. About 3 hours from Las Vegas, as you approach Hurricane, Utah and see the edge of the Park, you simply want to get out of the car and stare at the scene. Once inside the park, you just marvel at the vast rock faces and colors and again find it hard to imagine that the place is real.

Hiking through Zion, I was reminded of the Loggins & Messina Song, "Run River Run" as the blood of the park is the Virgin River, seen in the above image. The rock face in this image is the Watchman which is the most recognized site from Zion. At sunset, you can see photographers trying to joust for the best position on this bridge to get the shot.

If you're a hiker, then this park is for you. From easy hikes to really difficult ones. If you're a real outdoor person, then you can get a back country permit and hike the narrows and the subway and really see pristine wilderness.

The best place to stay is at the Zion Lodge inside the Park. The views are breathtaking.

Want to see more? Well take a look at my Zion set on Flickr here.

Or even better, plan a trip out there. And you can also spend a few days at Bryce which is a few hours a way and real diamond of the park system.

For more information on Zion, check out the NPS website here.

See you all out in the field as I discover America.

Coming to your emotional rescue

I shit you not, this is the actual illustration that a Portland Oregon weekly newspaper used to accompany its endorsement of Barack Hussein Obama.

Please click the link above and then on the image to see Obama in all his glory. No, this is not a cult, mind you.

I come to you, so silent in the night
So stealthy, so animal quiet
I'll be your savior, steadfast and true
I'll come to your emotional rescue
I'll come to your emotional rescue

Yeah, you should be mine, mine, whew
Yes, you could be mine
Tonight and every night
I will be your knight in shining armor
Coming to your emotional rescue
You will be mine, you will be mine, all mine
You will be mine, you will be mine, all mine
I will be your knight in shining armour
Riding across the desert with a fine arab charger

-The Rolling Stones

H/T: Nelson Guirado

People to people contacts

Here's more video of omnipotent tourists doing their best to bring the castro regime down through people to people contacts. Mojitos are the Molotov Cocktails of the 21st century don't ya know?

Here's a nice couple that finally made it outside of their all-inclusive resort bubble to mingle with the "real Cubans" for a little while (real people with funny costumes, that is):

The Power of Words

With each post, Yoani Sanchez gives us much more than a glimpse into the reality that is castro's Cuba. Her writing does more than open a window into the tattered soul of Cuba. Yoani's work not only serves as an inspiration for many, but for some, her work is a catalyst. It empowers. Enboldens. It sparks that little something inside. Lights a dormant fire, helps us find a courage, a conviction we never thought we had.

Last night I received an email from Linda Leinen, a writer and blogger out of Galveston, Texas. She was so moved, so touched by Yoani's words, that, as she states in her email it "stirred her to begin learning about the cause of those in Cuba." This is incredibly important in and of itself, but also important is the fact that Linda blogged anonymously until the day she learned of Yoani. And it was Yoani's work and bravery that fostered the spirit for Linda to sign her name to her previously anonymous work:

Like most Cuban bloggers, I had chosen to remain anonymous. Whether grounded in caution, fear, or simple preference, anonymity can provide comfort, a sense of privacy and security. It also makes issues of honesty and accountability less relevant. Ms. Sanchez, who signs her name and posts her photo on her Web site, appears to have few problems with honesty and accountability; she is quite willing to express her opinions and defend them publicly from the very heart of a dictatorship. Such forthrightness earns her a prerogative or two. Yoani Sanchez, 32 years old and living 90 miles off our shores in a crumbling nation which would prefer not to be portrayed in such detail, has every right to turn to a 61-year-old, comfortable and completely un-oppressed woman and inquire, “And you. Where is your picture? what is your name? Tell me your convictions.”

As I removed my avatar and replaced it with a photograph, as I began signing my name to my work and pondered the implications of doing so, it was the challenge of Yoani Sanchez’ words which resonated in my mind: “Once you experience the flavor of saying what you think, of publishing it and signing it with your name, well, there’s no turning back. One of the first things we have to do, a great way to begin to change, is to be more honest about saying what you think.”

The above quote is from an excellent, must read post titled "If Yoani Sanchez Read Your Blog."

Gracias, Linda.

The prince has spoken

And behold, another edict has been proclaimed by the great, the magnanimous, the benevolent, the munificent, prince raul.

First microwaves go on sale in Cuba

Updated: May 13, 2008 12:51 PM

Cuba's Communist government has allowed microwave ovens to go on sale to the general public for the first time ever.

Anxious Cubans gathered at an electronics store in Havana to purchase a microwave.

Various models are on sale between $140 and $320.

Microwaves are the latest of a series of measures that new Cuban President Raul Castro has taken to make life easier for ordinary Cubans.

Food, of course, is sold separately—if you can find it and can afford it. And contrary to popular belief, no evidence has been found that cell phones, DVD players, electric bikes, microwave ovens, nor the wondrous and exotic toaster oven, will stop the heinous violations of human rights committed on a daily basis by the prince and his court. Nevertheless, Cubans will now discover the wonders and convenience of boiling water in a microwave.

People to People contacts

The latest installment of vacation videos from Cuba. As you can see, it will be very soon now that Dr. Biscet and the other Cuban prisoners of conscience will be free thanks to our friends from the great white north spending their loonies in the worker's paradise.

Cuba where the people are imprisoned and the Dolphins are free:

Che, que haces con ese celular?

As most of you know, a lot of Argentines are equivocados about Cuba. This is not one of them:

IBD on Obama's friends

I missed this Editorial from Investor's Business Daily when it came out a few days ago. It's about Obama and his circle of Marxist friends. They actually mention the Maria Isabel episode which we covered here.

When one looks at Obama, it's shocking how radical and anti-American his closest associates are. Taken separately, the black liberation theology of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, or fundraiser William Ayers' unrepentant past as a 1960s terrorist or Obama's openly pro-Che Guevara volunteers in Houston might be dismissed.

But taken together, and given Obama's closeness to his friends, it's fair to ask whether Obama doesn't share their extreme-left views. Yet whenever he's asked, he gets mad and avoids the issue.

Read the rest here.

Winnie Biscet wants YOUR help!

Winnie Biscet, daughter of the Cuban prisoner of conscience Dr. Oscar Elias Biscet is asking for your help.

"I WANT THAT PEOPLE WRITE SOMETHING TO MY FATHER ANYTHING THEY WANT TO SAY TO HIM. IT HAS TO BE IN SPANISH! IM GOING TO SEND ALL THOSE WRITING TO HIM AS SOON YOU SEND IT TO ME. I KNOW HE WILL LOVE IT. I WANT TO D[O] IT FOR "FATHERS DAY" PLEASE SEND TO MY EMAIL (winnie_biscet@yahoo.com)"

What do you say to a hero? What do you tell a courageous man who prefers to be in prison than in exile because of the depth of his convictions? Think about it and then send it to Winnie.

H/T: Felix L. Ricardo and Ramon G.

Francisco Aguabella at the Jazz Bakery

Unable to join us at Cuba Nostalgia, but in need of some Cubanismo? If you’re in the Los Angeles area try this:

The Jazz Bakery presents Francisco Aguabella and his Latin Jazz Ensemble
Four Nights: May 14, 15, 16 & 17, 2008





Francisco Aguabella, master conguero, left Cuba and came to the United States and performed with Peggy Lee. He has performed all over Europe, Australia, South America and all over the United States (including the White House). Francisco has enjoyed an extensive music performing and recording career and has delighted many audiences with his masterful and powerful rhythms. He has performed with many great artists such as Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Frank Sinatra, Eddie Palmieri, Cachao, Lalo Schifrin, Cal Tjader, Peggy Lee, Nancy Wilson, Poncho Sanchez, Paul Simon, Bebo Valdes, and many more.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see the last great conguero. I had the pleasure of seeing him in performance just a couple of months ago, he’s incredible, I guarantee, you won’t be disappointed.

The Jazz Bakery it’s all about the music, it’s just you, the audience, and the musicians. Every seat is the best seat in the house. This musical experience is truly a unique and rare opportunity to get up close to the great Francisco Aguabella.

The Jazz Bakery is located at 3233 Helms Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90034. You can visit www.jazzbakery.com for complete information including their calendar and directions.

Information and Tickets: 310-271-9039. Box office opens one hour before show time or you can call 24 hours a day for reservations.

Find out more about Francisco on his website at www.franciscoaguabella.com or www.myspace.com/franciscoaguabella.

That Blockheaded South Florida Tail-- Still Wags the National Dog!

That clique of noisy, well-heeled and politically powerful south Florida voters is at it again. Never mind the national interest. This cantankerous group's archaic prejudices still prevail. Never mind simple logic. Their emotions still guide our national policy to the frustration of the rest of the nation, to the detriment of our economic well-being and to the bitter amusement of much of the world.

Never mind almost half a century of visible evidence against their moss-ridden bugaboos. Their zealotry, intransigence and apparently incurable block-headedness again prevail. This groveling by Republican politicians to a fringe group of highly emotional Florida voters is a national scandal by now. It's high time these hotheads in Florida got with the national program. They need to shed their petty obsessions with the past and start assessing the national interest soberly and in light of current developments, not stale policies enacted in the heat of hysteria almost half a century ago. Most outrageous of all, their policies hurt the very people they claim to help.

Read rest here:

The Hungarian honorary Cubiche

So we've been preparing for CubaNostalgia and one of the things we wanted to do was a banner honoring and reminding people about Dr. Biscet. One of our sponsors for the show, Abe Cardenas, offered a banner stand, the kind you see at trade shows. But we didn't have a banner to put in it. I have some friends i