Val Prieto

Compay

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“Compay.” My dad says that all the time. Compay. In Cuban it means friend.
“Oye, compay, como estas?”
At 95, Cuba’s Compay Segundo, of the Buena Vista Social Club fame, died yesterday. Not only have we lost a brilliant musician, but a buen Compay.

If you’ve never heard his music, drop me a line, I’ll gladly send you a tune or two.

Castro, Glover, etal star in Oliver Stone’s latest: Real Cubans Don’t Eat Quiche

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I have been asked numerous times why I think there is such an affinity towards Castro by the Hollywood crowd. To which I always want to respond “Because they are complete fucking assholes with no fucking idea of what is happening outside the lens of the camera.” But, I don’t, mainly because I have no friggin idea why these people would support a tyrant like Castro.

I mean, most of the Hollywood Castro supporters are leftists which supposedly stand for things such as:

Human rights
Freedom of Speech
Civil Rights

etcetera.

Why then, would an actor like, say, Danny Glover, an African-American who, no doubt, is a follower of the teachings of Martin Luther King support a regime where MLK’s words aren’t even allowed to be read. It makes no sense at all to me.

Could it be that these Hollywood types are so anti-Bush that they would hop into bed with anyone who has stated a disgerard and general disdain for our President? The enemy of my enemy is my ally type of thing?

I really have no answer, but would like to know what you all think.

Separated Families

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Castro’s recent crackdown on dissidents has been the subject of quite a few articles and news stories lately. One reads of their plight and thinks “How sad,” or “those poor people,” yet, even though we understand what a terribly depressing situation these political prisoners are in, sometimes it’s difficult to truly take to heart as we see only their names in print. It’s not easy imagining them as real people.

The Center for a Free Cuba has a very touching photo exhibit depicting not only those encarcerated, but their loved ones on the outside, which, being Cuba, is just a bigger cell. Those faces speak volumes.

I fought a losing battle against tears while seeing this for the first time because, well, any one of those solemn people could be my mother, or father, or wife or brother.

WMD Google fun…

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I’m not one to play google site search fun but, this one I thought was pretty cool.

Google search : weapons of mass destruction

click I’m feeling Lucky

enjoy…or not…

(Hat tip Nestor)

Revolutionary Oil Lamps

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I was having some family and friends over for a get together the other day and went to a dollar store nearby to get some miscellaneous crap and found these really cool looking, cheapo, Made In China oil lamps for two bucks each. They look like the old railroad lamps the conductors use in all those old movies. I bought a bunch of them because I thought they would look great in Man Camp (more on Man Camp at a later date). So I set them up all over, filled them and basically waited for it to get dark to light’em up.

At the get together every one loved them. I kept patting myself on the back as I had gotten them for 2 bucks each. When it finally started to get dark, the party started thining out. Only a few people remained, including my parents. So I take my dad with me to Man Camp and help me light the lamps.

“Do you know why I was imprisoned in Cuba?” He asks me.

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Letter to Iran

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AN OPEN LETTER IN SUPPORT OF THE PEOPLE OF IRAN FROM THE WEBLOGGING COMMUNITY

We are not politicians, nor are we generals. We hold no power to dispatch diplomats to negotiate; we can send no troops to defend those who choose to risk their lives in the cause of freedom.

What power we have is in our words, and in our thoughts. It is that strength which we offer to the people of Iran today.

Across the diverse and often contentious world of weblogs, each of us has chosen to put aside our differences and come together to declare our unanimity on the following simple principles:

– That the people of Iran are allies of free men and women everywhere in the world, and deserve to live under a government of their own choosing, which respects their own personal liberties.

– That the current Iranian regime has failed to create a free and prosperous society, and attempts to mask its own failures by repression and tyranny.

We do not presume to know what is best for the people of Iran; but we are firm in our conviction that the policies of the current government stand in the way of the Iranian people’s ability to make those choices for themselves.

And so we urge our own governments to turn their attention to Iran. The leaders and diplomats of the world’s democracies must be clear in their opposition to the repressive actions of the current Iranian regime, but even more importantly, must be clear in their support for the aspirations of the Iranian people.

And to the people of Iran, we say: You are not alone. We see your demonstrations in the streets; we hear of your newspapers falling to censorship; and we watch with anticipation as you join the community of the Internet in greater and greater numbers. Our hopes are with you in your struggle for freedom. We cannot and will not presume to tell you the correct path to freedom; that is for you to choose. But we look forward to the day when we can welcome your nation into the community of free societies of the world, for we know with deepest certainty that such a day will come.

We should show support for those being stifled by a repressive government every chance we get. Then maybe, just maybe, the rest of the world will begin to understand how important things like freedom of speech and expression are.

(Via Dean Esmay)