So True

Reader Melek sent me this cartoon and I just couldn't pass it up....since I completely agree. Enjoy.

Win Some, Loose Some?

Cuba has released at least seven political prisoners. This should be good news, right?

Well, yes and no. You see the release comes on the heels of another dissident being sentenced for 12 years in prison, after a quick closed trial and 4 years in jail without having been charged. So he'll end up with close to 16 years. Where are the Human Rights activists that so loudly lobby for the prisoners in Guantanamo? The silence is deafening.

For more comments on this story read Justice Castro Style.

Rediscovery

It's been seven months since Papi passed away. Sometimes I mourn, sometimes I'm just numb. Other times I'm in a daze as I watch the days pass and not a single thought about Papi comes to mind.

Yesterday Val asked me if I was ever going to contribute again at Babalu because I haven't posted there in a while. I gave him a short answer that I'm not sure it reflected what I really meant to say.

Seven months ago my life changed forever. Like in history there is a before and after Christ, and in Cuba we say a before and (hopefully) after Fifo, in my life there is now a before and after too. Before Papi's death and after his death.

Who I was on October 7th, 2006 no longer exists. Whoever I was then, died on October 8th, 2006 when I was able to confirm Papi's passing. Something inside me changed; I changed. The weird thing is I don't have a clue of what changed. My priorities got shuffled and re-ordered. All of a sudden a lot of things were not important and a lot of things were.

I sit here trying to figure out who thisi new person is, where my passions lie, where is my motivation, what are my feelings and I feel lost. Everything takes so much effort to do, and I really don't care if it gets done or not most of the time. It's like having the wind knocked out of you but instead of the wind it's your life.

How can you re-arrange your life when such an important part of it is gone? How can I find out who I am now? How can I discern what the heck changed so I can adapt to this new me I'm encountered with day after day? How can I not break down every time I now see a grandfather with his grandkids and know I will never see that? Or whenever I see an elderly man with his daughter and know I will never have that? Or think about my graduation day, when I get hooded, and survive the fact that Papi will not be physically present there to tell me how proud he is?

The fight for Cuba is still near and dear to my heart. I'm still passionate about it. I still think of helping someday reconstruct Cuba. But my knack for finding news and making good analysis seems to be dormant....awaiting this period of change to be over.

I feel I have so much to accomplish: dissertation proposal, marriage, family, blogging, and so little time to do it all, that I need to find a new balance within this new person who I am becoming. My life will be forever marked by that day, by that trip; there will forever be a before and an after for me.

So bear with me through this period, until I find myself within this new Ventanita. So to answer Val's question, yes I will contribute again at Babalu, and will probably become a regular contributor - as soon as I know who Ventanita is in this after I'm getting adjusted to.

Miracles

Miracles do happen. Mami is FINALLY coming to visit (after almost 3 years). How did I accomplish that? Simple, I found an offer in Southwest that she simply couldn't refuse.

Mami are you doing anything between the 27th of June and July 3rd?
No, why?
The ticket is $100 round trip.
Buy it.

Nothing better to lure a frugal mom than a good bargain. Aahhh to have a Cuban mother.

Non-Segreagated Prom?

I have to admit, that I choked on my coffe when I read this headline: Georgia School to hold first non-segregated Prom.

What?
Excuse me?
Segregation? But it's 2007!!!

Apparently not in all parts of the United States. Here, the FOUR class officials, two blacks and two whites, made an official request to break tradition of separate proms, and have an all-school prom. Brave students like these make the future look very VERY hopeful.

Blacks and Whites dancing together at a Senior Prom, who knew? This is why I'm not moving to Georgia folks

Fred Thompson's View of the Iran/UK Crisis

As mentioned earlier, I'm not a fan of how the recen Iran/UK crisis was handled. I believe this was a big victory for Ahmadinejad theocracy, and a big loss for everyone else.

But no one really says it better, in my view of course, that the Law & Order president himself, former Senator Fred Thompson.

The Pirates of Tehran, indeed. Go read, come back and comment.

Good Friday

Today is viernes santo which for me marks a holy day of staying at home, fasting, not eating meat, not indulging, and listening to the sermon de las siete palabras on Radio Paz on the web. This year they've upgraded to video which should be a treat.

It used to be that this was traditionally done by Father Angel Villaronga, whose sermon was always magical and right on. Sadly, God called him back early (car accident in 2005) so now every year it's a different priest.

I hope you all are able to enjoy this Easter weekend with your closest family.

PS. Since I am now married and have my own home, no bacalao on Good Friday thank God!

Fire Rosie?

Rosie O'Donnell has been infuriating a lot of people since her arrival on The View. I gotta admit, I used to love her show, and I used to like the view.

Now I can't watch the view, and I can't stand her. Should she be fired? I believe yes. And before you go free speech on me remember free speech comes with being responsible for what you say. This woman not only shouts her opininions sometimes not even letting the other panelists say something, but a lot of the times she presents her opinion as facts, as truth, as the actual news. And that is what I have a problem with. Well that and her attitude.

The issue was recently debated at Scarborough country, and I have to agree with him. But alas money, and in this case ratings, make the world go around. I think Disney will pay dearly for keeping her in the air.

Strange Days Indeed

First it was "let's attack the US dependency on oil" and the fact that Bush wasn't really doing much for alternative fuels. Then Bush went to South America and struck a deal with Brazil that Chavez immediately criticized.

Now, because Bush has decided to somewhat support production of ethanol, Chavez has done a 180 and is attacking turning food into fuel. Just more evidence that Chavez has no stance except an anti-Bush stance (and whatever fifo tells him). Never mind that

In August 2006, the Venezuelan state oil corporation PDVSA signed an agreement with its Brazilian counterpart, Petrobras, for ''long-term'' supplies of ethanol as a renewable substitute for gasoline.

In US politics I'm really not happy with Pelosi's visit to Syria; fraternizing with governments accused or murdering Lebanese president and of aiding the insurgents in Iraq just doesn't seem right. I know some of you (wink wink) will hail her visit and see it as a peace token of sorts, after all how could we make our foreign policy any worse, right? Well, it could always be worse.

I'm also really dissapointed in how the UK has handled the Iran crisis. I would've expected them to show the MSM the marines were in Iraqui waters, but then again I would've never expected to see these soldiers confess to something they allegedly didn't do, and wear a headscarf in the process. Someone told me I was expecting too much, that these were not American marines. Maybe. But my God, this is the BRITISH NAVY. I'm right to expect more.

Having recently lost and cremated Papi, Keith Richard's confession that he snorted his is stomach turning to say the least.

But hey, what could be stranger than a PuertoRican claiming to be Jesus and having his followers tattoo the number "666" on themselves?

Is this a joke?

And the award for the dumbest idea ever reported goes to teachers in the UK? What's next?

Via Michelle Malkin