La Ventanita

On a totally personal note, I wanted to let all of you know that I SUCCESSFULLY defended my dissertation and most importantly with NO changes!

So that turns me into Dr. Ventanita!!!

Oh, and yes Val, this means that I’ll be pack to posting regularly around these parts come September. Just need to get settled in our new home.

Just wanted to share the good news with all of you!!!

Some good news. I have just been offered a contract for Assistant Professor starting next fall 2009!!!!!
Now all I need to do is finish my dissertation before my start date. Academia here I come!!!!!!!!

I’ll be short, concise and to the point and will support my position with two quotes.
My position: I am 100% passionately against the bailout. Let whatever happens happen. Why you ask?

In bailing out mortgage lenders Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, our government has basically turned America into the largest subsidized housing project in the world.

Just when I thought all hope was lost with Republicans, at leas one seems to remember what free markets are all about, and remembers what being a Republican stands for:

The idea of a government bailout in which we’d entrust $700 billion to one man without Congressional oversight or accountability is absurd. My party or not, that is insanity and I believe unconstitutional.
Will there be far-reaching consequences without some intervention? Probably, but we honestly don’t know since we’ve really never seen this level of greed and stupidity all rolled into one massive move. But may I suggest that letting “Uncle Sugar” step in and bail out the billionaires who made the mess will be far worse and will start a long line of companies and individuals who will demand the same of the government

Today I reach a milestone in my career; wish me luck everyone!

SUCCESS!

So this morning, as I have my coffee, I read the latest on the Clintonistas: use electoral college delegate count to decide on Dem nomination.
Together with the weekend bashing of these same Clintonistas labeling Gov. Richardson as a traitor, this got me thinking, is there anything, anything at all this woman will not do to win this? And so, as her thirst for power becomes more and more obvious I can’t help but wonder, will people want her as the next president?
Since there is a 50% chance our next president will be one of the two Democratic candidates, if the next president of the USA were to be a Democrat, who would you prefer – Hill or Obama? Why? And for the record, “I’m not voting does” not count as a valid answer. This is not about votes, this is about “the lesser of two evils” if you will.
If the idea of preferring a Democratic candidate is hard to fathom, then flip it around, which of the two would you absolutely hate to see as next president and why?
Note: I don’t know about you but I’m having loads of fun watching the Dems tear each other apart.

Update: My husband will be sworn in on April 7th!!!!!!!! Thanks to all the well wishers.
Tomorrow at 2pm people. 2pm. What happens you ask?
My husband will have his N-400 interview and test. Yup you read right his N-A-T-U-R-A-L-I-Z-A-T-I-O-N. Well, at least the first major step; with any luck he’ll swear in time to register to vote.
Pretty soon we’ll have another vote among our ranks. Another non-Cuban to help us spread the truth to those who think our heritage discredits what we say.
Keep us in your prayers so that everything goes smoothly and he aces the test!

How many times have you heard that Bill Clinton was “the first Black president”. The guy even put up his office in Harlem to boost the neighborhood, because you know, Black neighborhoods need White people moving in to boost them.
Or how many times have you as a Republican or a conservative been called a racist? Or heard that the Democrats are the inclusive, diverse, multicultural and tolerant party?
If you are like me probably too many times to count. Just like people’s infatuation with the Clinton’s has baffled the heck out of me for years. It’s like they can do no wrong; they walk on water.
I’m not fond of the Democrat party, though I have Democrat friends. I’m not fond of the way they se dan de cantos en el pecho like they are holier than anyone else. Yet this Democratic primary has shown the party’s true colors; and even more so it has shown the Clinton’s true colors.
First it was the “fairy tale” remark, that some in the Black community found racist. Then it was Hillary’s comment on Johnson that for some on the Black community downplayed MLK Jr. Following that, came Bubba’s comment that “Jesse Jackson also won South Carolina”.
Most recently it was the leaking of the Obama picture in Kenyan garb to highlight his Muslim heritage.
Did you think it would stop there? Heck no. The Daily Kos is now reporting (yes, you read right Kos) that Clintons ads are making Obama look darker and with a wider nose, again to possibly highlight his Muslim/Black heritage. The Clinton camp denies the allegations saying the ad on Kos is not their ad. So Kos uploaded the ad from the Clinton page and guess what?
You guessed it, blacker and a wider nose!
I’m no fan of any of the two candidates, or of Kos for that matter, but I have to admit that I am enjoying the internal bickering and racism of the Democratic primary. I find these tactics appalling and unbecoming of anyone vying for the presidency of this great nation. Attack on issues, not on race. Don’t prey on people’s fear and turn around and call the Republican party a fear mongering party. If this is what she does to her own party, imagine what she could possibly do to this nation.
If you find this report funny, well you are not the only one. LGF had a laugh at Kos’ expense. Scandalous or not, the punchline here is that the Clinton campaign said the image in Kos wasn’t theirs – and yet it was.
Now, who’s calling the kettle black.

Unsurprising to anyone, except of course maybe to hugito himself, we know have been told that chavez funneled 300 million dollars to the FARC.
As we say in Puerto Rico, ahora si que se pusieron los huevos de a peseta as Colombia has decided to take chavez to The Hague.
I say it’s about fucking time. George has more.

As outlined by the New York Post

I’m no McCain fan, and I will not vote him. Even if that means allowing a Democrat to be elected. I’m tired of voting for the lesser of two evils and I cannot and will not compromise my principles and vote for someone who in my opinion is a hypocrite.
That said, you gotta love the tit for tat fifo is having with McCain over his January remarks that Cubans tortured him in Hanoi.

“For me to respond to Fidel Castro, who has oppressed and repressed his people and who is one of the most brutal dictators on Earth, for me to dignify any comments he might make is certainly beneath me.

Of course, fifo is calling him a liar and bringing out the religion card in todays editorial on that pulitzer winning piece of journalism called Granma.
As always this is not news to us; fifo’s goonies commit torture? Or even fifo himself? You don’t say…..
Is fifo even alive at this point? Can anyone outthere photoshop the Where’s Waldo poster into a Where’s fifo? Seriously, I believe they are keeping him alive through ghost writing of his editorials.

This morning Pajamas Media has a great post analyzing Hugo, Oliver and the FARC – as they “work” together to rescue the freed hostages. Aptly named The FARC Farce: Starring Hugo Chavez , Directed by Oliver Stone it sees through Chavez’s strategies searching for the real purpose and exposes the truth as one of political gain for Chavez.

Chavez hailed his hostage-rescue mission as “a first step to open a door toward the path for Colombia to have peace soon.” Baloney. It’s actually a first step to reasserting his influence after his grand election failure while simultaneously trying to make U.S. ally and Colombian President Alvaro Uribe look useless. According to Bloomberg, the Chavez government accredited more than 300 reporters beyond those normally in Venezuela for the event. After all, the revolutionary action hero needs Clark Kent to spread the word.

But positive PR is not what he is looking for; his purpose is quite darker and scarier not only for Venezuela but for the entire South America region.

But Chavez’s key ulterior motive likely rests with extending a hand to the leftist guerrillas who could serve his cause for continental domination. Rewind to 2000, when FARC leader Olga Marin, for example, spoke at Venezuela’s National Assembly and thanked the Venezuelan government for its “support.” A June 2000 video leaked by unhappy members of the Venezuelan military showed FARC and Venezuelan officers meeting and cooperating.

And if you think this is all right wing press propaganda, think again.

“Our government has the respect not just of the FARC but of the ELN (another Marxist Colombian rebel group) and of many other factions in the world,” Chavez boasted Friday from an airbase runway.

Your petrodollars at work; they are not only buying governments but at the same time buying the rebels of the government he opposes. With a recent Peru report of a resurgence of Senderos Luminosos or Shining Path and at least two incidents registered, Chavez’s “respect” for such groups is no laughing matter.