No billboards in Cuba advertising anything. But much graffiti and signs "advertising" the Revolucion. I have been trying in the week we have been back to string together a paragraph or two which would make sense of the time we spent there. But I failed at that and ended up with the anecdotes that follow:
Don't go to Cuba for the food. Ours sucked.
There are two forms of currency. One used by the touristas called CUC's. The other used by residents of the island called pesos. Pesos would not have gotten you into any of our hotels. This differentiation really separates the haves (that would be us) from the have nots (that would be most of the rest of the Cubans).
I liked the people on the tour more than I expected. I was my usual warm, social, humanitarian self and got along famously. (An aside: This blog is now officially transcontinental. A western outpost has been established in Berkeley thanks to Becky. So a welcome to her.) Even the bus rides were comfy.
We had a terrific tour leader from SF and a more than terrific tour guide from Havana who really shared all sorts of information and factoids.
Che's picture is all over the place partly because Fidel is still alive and partly due to Che's continuing magnetism.
In some of the medium sized cities (Cienfuegos for example), taxi service is provided by donkey pulled carts--which have cart stands all over.
There were 16,000 Jews on the island before Castro and there are now 1600--mostly in Havana but also in scattered outposts across the island. Leave it to members of my tribe--Cubans continue to separate the Ashkenazim Jews (from Eastern Europe) from the Sephardi Jews (from southern Europe and Northern Africa). So, in Havana, each has its own synagogue. The "synagogue" in Cienfuegos is in the living room of the woman who is the leader of that city's Jewish community. There is a Jewish community center in Havana whose leader is also the leader of the island's entire Jewish community--she is a fireball of a lady who also happened to leave us so she could meet with Senator Durbin.
Cubans hate the older generation of exiles in Miami but are cautiously optimistic about the younger Cubans in Miami some of whom are very interested in their own genealogy and would like to at least visit.
Our hotel had CNN in English and I watched part of the Pats game on ESPN--this despite the fact that those are not available to your average citizen. Ads were all for US companies. No Internet service for the average Cuban except within the island.
Went to a terrific ballet performance of the national ballet company.
They have aquaculture farms for shrimp and fish--and across the street there are shacks with no plumbing or electricity and folks riding their mules to other little villages.
By the way, the heading way back up on means Socialism or Death--and, at this point, I am voting for none of the above or abstaining.
There is much more to say but in the end I deeply admired the resiliency of the Jewish population--we went to Friday night services lead by a trio of 20 year olds. No rabbis on the island. A Chilean rabbi visits 3 times a year and they schedule bar/bat mitzvahs, bris', and weddings for those times. He also tutors the young people which allows them to lead the services--Friday nights, Saturday mornings, and all holidays. At the end of the service, the youngsters in the shul began to sing--6and 7 year olds--very moving. Also admire how difficult life is for the mainstream Cuban. Housing is especially in bad shape in the centre of the city.
Three factoids more. Fidel failed on his first effort at an uprising and escaped back to Mexico--Che joined him at that point and he returned successfully. I did smoke a Cuban cigar and only drank 7 year old Cuban dark rum on ice--which costs about 3 bucks. Muy bueno.
More later/Moving on.
Anyone notice Eric Cantor (he who is a member of my tribe) at the State of the Union speech? A fucking sourpuss not even clapping at the non controversial things.
No one should doubt that the assassinations hitting in Iran are connected to Israel and that our government knows about them. Speaking of which two depressing articles in yesterday's Times. In the Magazine, a Jerusalem based journalist argues that a number of issues are coalescing in the middle east which leads him to predict an Israeli attack on Iran in 2012. Then that fatso Sheldon Adelson (he who is yet another member of my tribe) giving a bazillion dollars to Gingrich--for business reasons and for his staunch support of Israel. Adelson is one of the bright light AIPAC folks and the one who argues that the Palestinians are not really a "people". Very unpleasant news.
Did not even try for Bruce tickets but Gary did send me a you tube recording of a cut from his new album. I liked it and am hoping I can score a ticket on ebay for his Boston concert.
Congratulations to Toby, Tessa, and the grandparents on the birth of Asher up there in the Great White north.
SPORTS TALK
Tim Thomas is a right wing Ron Paul tea bag adherent and an asshole. But he can play goal like a madman. I'm not sure where to go with this but do believe if I knew the political beliefs of all my sports faves, I would puke.
The Pats did luck out against the Ravens but as they say, the bottom line is that they won. The Jints are much tougher because their QB is better. Brady really has to be on and the defense at least has to stop the run and let Eli throw it 60 times.
My big question is what kind of food to have on hand given my limited dietary repertoire. There will be single malt scotch and no sound.
That's it.
Sayonara
Monday, January 30, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
NO FOO FOO UMBRELLA DRINKS FOR ME
Big decisions have been made in advance of our trip to Cuba. I will only drink Cuban rum on the rocks--no mojitos or pina coladas for me. And I have decided (after much intra-family discussions and voting) that I will smoke one big fat hand rolled Cuban cigar. Probably on the last day we are there. I continue to be very hesitant about the last sentence given that scare I had some years ago which put my cigar smoking on the permanent sidelines of my life. But I have to believe I can handle one Cuban cigar. No more input please. We are both really really excited about the trip and already believe 8 days may not be enough. But it is better than nada (that's me practicing Spanish)and Fidel is still alive--perhaps I will bump into him and we can discuss why we each gave up cigars. Fascinating and as important as all the socio-political stuff.
And so, the Mitter won Iowa and NH. Now the other boys (Michelle has gone bye bye) are really after him. Honest to god, when you see them lined up for their debates, you need sunglasses so that the glare from their red ties does not blind you.
What will Ron Paul end up with except perhaps some language in their platform which no one except policy wonks really care about? I would love it if he took the Mitter on and actually won but I think not. The decision is in on Mr. Santorum. He is a nasty person with nasty ideas and deserves his place on the cusp of drop-out-ville.
Meanwhile, it is worth remembering that Romney got no more or less votes in either state than 4 years ago. And, equally important to the Republicans, the 2nd and 3rd finishers in each state had the same total when combined as Romney. That does not bode well for him.
Speaking of Iowa, my circulation has increased yet again. John has joined us and represents the most western outpost of readership even if it is just Michigan. Welcome, John.
Unemployment continues to drop ever so slowly. But say the drop is just 1/4% a month, Mr. Barack could be looking at percentages in the mid 6's by election time which would be a big break. Have not heard from or seen Mr. Boehner (he of the perpetual tan) or Mr. Cantor (he who is a member of my tribe) in awhile. But I have seen a lot of Jon Stewart who has been terrific with this primary shit. I remain convinced his staff must be the best group of researchers and writers on the planet. The behind the scenes folks just come up with fact after fact after fact about all public figures. Two nights ago, he skewered Gingrich using Gingrich's own words. Oh my.
So the voters here in the Bay State, being THE MOST ENLIGHTENED IN THE COUNTRY AND THE MOST LIBERAL, decided a couple of years ago to ban greyhound racing. I actually could not care less since I hated betting on those fleet animals--a fly on their butt and they fell over. Anyhow, no greyhound racing. But there were a bunch of greyhounds requiring homes and they were adopted--apparently by every other household in JP. Lovely sight, these beasts freezing their asses off while they are walked around the pond. But ahhh--each has his own blanky. My questions is if racing is so bad, how about cold and why do all of them have hand sewn blankies. Maybe their owners go to that knitting store on Centre street and have a group sew which allows for dog blanky discussions.
FYI--Read the Patti Smith book about her relationship with Mapplethorpe. It was ok but not great. I found it most interesting how she ended up in the circles of so many important 60's cultural and musical figures--among them Hendrix, Dylan, Warhol, Ginsberg. It goes on and on. Amazing.
SPORTS TALK
Michigan finally won a bowl game thanks to the largess of Virginia Tech. Their BB team is not bad either. Dennard Robinson still is erratic but hey: GO BLUE.
I still think James Harrison should be in jail for his hit on Colt McCoy. How is it that local policia (there I go again with Spanish) frequently want to charge hockey players with assault but it never happens in pro football. His hit, in a losing effort at Denver, on their wide receiver was cheap but not the same as his head butting. And by the way, Pittsburgh really blew the coverage on the TD in overtime. Nobody was home back there.
The Celtics continue to look old and the media up here think Garnet looks the worse. I'm not sure how this will play out but is is not pretty.
Tebow sucks and Tebow mania makes me sick. He should just shut up and his maniac followers should get a life. He could also make me throw up should his team upset the Pats. Lets be honest here--the religious thing going on around him is kind of like the Tea Party/Santorum crowd on steroids.
That's it.
Hasta La Vista.
And so, the Mitter won Iowa and NH. Now the other boys (Michelle has gone bye bye) are really after him. Honest to god, when you see them lined up for their debates, you need sunglasses so that the glare from their red ties does not blind you.
What will Ron Paul end up with except perhaps some language in their platform which no one except policy wonks really care about? I would love it if he took the Mitter on and actually won but I think not. The decision is in on Mr. Santorum. He is a nasty person with nasty ideas and deserves his place on the cusp of drop-out-ville.
Meanwhile, it is worth remembering that Romney got no more or less votes in either state than 4 years ago. And, equally important to the Republicans, the 2nd and 3rd finishers in each state had the same total when combined as Romney. That does not bode well for him.
Speaking of Iowa, my circulation has increased yet again. John has joined us and represents the most western outpost of readership even if it is just Michigan. Welcome, John.
Unemployment continues to drop ever so slowly. But say the drop is just 1/4% a month, Mr. Barack could be looking at percentages in the mid 6's by election time which would be a big break. Have not heard from or seen Mr. Boehner (he of the perpetual tan) or Mr. Cantor (he who is a member of my tribe) in awhile. But I have seen a lot of Jon Stewart who has been terrific with this primary shit. I remain convinced his staff must be the best group of researchers and writers on the planet. The behind the scenes folks just come up with fact after fact after fact about all public figures. Two nights ago, he skewered Gingrich using Gingrich's own words. Oh my.
So the voters here in the Bay State, being THE MOST ENLIGHTENED IN THE COUNTRY AND THE MOST LIBERAL, decided a couple of years ago to ban greyhound racing. I actually could not care less since I hated betting on those fleet animals--a fly on their butt and they fell over. Anyhow, no greyhound racing. But there were a bunch of greyhounds requiring homes and they were adopted--apparently by every other household in JP. Lovely sight, these beasts freezing their asses off while they are walked around the pond. But ahhh--each has his own blanky. My questions is if racing is so bad, how about cold and why do all of them have hand sewn blankies. Maybe their owners go to that knitting store on Centre street and have a group sew which allows for dog blanky discussions.
FYI--Read the Patti Smith book about her relationship with Mapplethorpe. It was ok but not great. I found it most interesting how she ended up in the circles of so many important 60's cultural and musical figures--among them Hendrix, Dylan, Warhol, Ginsberg. It goes on and on. Amazing.
SPORTS TALK
Michigan finally won a bowl game thanks to the largess of Virginia Tech. Their BB team is not bad either. Dennard Robinson still is erratic but hey: GO BLUE.
I still think James Harrison should be in jail for his hit on Colt McCoy. How is it that local policia (there I go again with Spanish) frequently want to charge hockey players with assault but it never happens in pro football. His hit, in a losing effort at Denver, on their wide receiver was cheap but not the same as his head butting. And by the way, Pittsburgh really blew the coverage on the TD in overtime. Nobody was home back there.
The Celtics continue to look old and the media up here think Garnet looks the worse. I'm not sure how this will play out but is is not pretty.
Tebow sucks and Tebow mania makes me sick. He should just shut up and his maniac followers should get a life. He could also make me throw up should his team upset the Pats. Lets be honest here--the religious thing going on around him is kind of like the Tea Party/Santorum crowd on steroids.
That's it.
Hasta La Vista.
Sunday, January 1, 2012
BROOOOOOOCE
I had a feeling he read my blog and my thoughts about Clarence's absence. Now I am sure Bruce and the boys read it thoroughly because I have learned he has a new album coming out and he is going out on tour sometime in 2012. Gary: This is an early warning. I want tickets if I cannot get my own.
Also, as my forehead recedes more and more, I have begun (much to my chagrin) to look from the neck up like my father. This generated some memories of me being taken by him to have his few hairs cut by a barber who was white with a huge head of white styled hair and whose name was (I swear) Blackie. My father used some sort of red goop on his hair that came out of a clear bottle and of course, being quite the fastidious person, had his nails done at the same time. I cannot remember having my hair cut by this guy or not but I am damned sure my nails were not touched.
He also then took me out to dinner--that sums up my contact with him after the divorce--hair, nails, and dinner mostly of the liquid variety for him. Probably a case of TMI.
Two examples of why I (and now Anna) love our government especially Social Security. I got confused about the day I get my check. One early evening a week or so ago, I called the 800 number and within 5 minutes got my live person who answered my question and set me straight. Anna needed a new social security card and I took her to my favorite Social Security office--and much like my first visit,except for the staff, we were the only Caucasians. She was seen in less than a half hour and her new card arrived 72 hours later. I LOVE MY GOVERNMENT.
So the Republicans caved in on the payroll tax issue. Great---old Eric Cantor (he who is a member of my tribe) is all over the place taking credit for being bi-partisan. That phony baloney hypocrite needs to go to shul a few times on Yom Kippur and repent for all his sins. I spoke to an "insider" about the state of Ohio which just happens to have one of the most liberal U.S. Senators--Sherrod Brown. I wondered how he was doing and how in comparison Obama was doing out there in the buckeye state. He said the internal polls show Brown running 10 points or so better than Obama which is kind of scary. That while they are both liberal, Brown is much more sensitive to union and trade issues. Ugh.
My readership has increased this week. I want to welcome Jim, Graham, and Stef. They have pushed me nearly to the quarter century mark and I have the NY Times sniffing around now that they dumped a bunch of smaller publications.
Two terrific articles. In last weeks SI, a great article about the riots in Vancouver after the Bruins won the cup. While it is sports focused, it is quite a gripping story. Then, also last week in the NY Times, an article about Benton Harbor, Michigan and the socio-cultural upheaval going on there. As a start, it is in receivership and run by the state.
A couple of local notes. Some of the homeless pan handlers now have cell phones. My glass is half full side says that their programs provide them so that they have a way of being in touch in case of emergency. My glass is half empty side says that if they can afford that, why should I give them money? Your thoughts?
Bakery wars: I love the Blue Frog Bakery but it does not have slicing machine and I butcher bread when I cut it. But it is local and I like the guy who runs it. Now we have the Flying Pig which does slice the bread but is part of a chain. they swear they bake the bread daily and ship it down from Maine or NH. What to do?
SPORTS TALK
So I just finished watching the Pats win home field throughout. I am so confused about them I don't even know where to begin. Against the Broncos, the Dolphins, and now the Bills, they were so bad for a quarter or a half--then boom, lights out the rest of the way including defense. Today down 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and then they shut out the Bills the rest of the way. If they score 35 or more every game, I think they could win it all. But there is one good defensive team (perhaps 2) in the AFC and that's Baltimore and they could be trouble. In the NFC, the 49ers have the only good defense. Playing either Green Bay or New Orleans, the score collectively could be in the 80's.
It is way too early to worry about the Celtics but they have looked old and that's as much as I will say.
Except that James Harrison's hit on McCoy was horrific and I really think he should have sat out the rest of the season. It was so clearly head hunting that, given his history, he got off lightly.
Hope all of you have a healthy and peaceful New Year.
Sayonara.
Also, as my forehead recedes more and more, I have begun (much to my chagrin) to look from the neck up like my father. This generated some memories of me being taken by him to have his few hairs cut by a barber who was white with a huge head of white styled hair and whose name was (I swear) Blackie. My father used some sort of red goop on his hair that came out of a clear bottle and of course, being quite the fastidious person, had his nails done at the same time. I cannot remember having my hair cut by this guy or not but I am damned sure my nails were not touched.
He also then took me out to dinner--that sums up my contact with him after the divorce--hair, nails, and dinner mostly of the liquid variety for him. Probably a case of TMI.
Two examples of why I (and now Anna) love our government especially Social Security. I got confused about the day I get my check. One early evening a week or so ago, I called the 800 number and within 5 minutes got my live person who answered my question and set me straight. Anna needed a new social security card and I took her to my favorite Social Security office--and much like my first visit,except for the staff, we were the only Caucasians. She was seen in less than a half hour and her new card arrived 72 hours later. I LOVE MY GOVERNMENT.
So the Republicans caved in on the payroll tax issue. Great---old Eric Cantor (he who is a member of my tribe) is all over the place taking credit for being bi-partisan. That phony baloney hypocrite needs to go to shul a few times on Yom Kippur and repent for all his sins. I spoke to an "insider" about the state of Ohio which just happens to have one of the most liberal U.S. Senators--Sherrod Brown. I wondered how he was doing and how in comparison Obama was doing out there in the buckeye state. He said the internal polls show Brown running 10 points or so better than Obama which is kind of scary. That while they are both liberal, Brown is much more sensitive to union and trade issues. Ugh.
My readership has increased this week. I want to welcome Jim, Graham, and Stef. They have pushed me nearly to the quarter century mark and I have the NY Times sniffing around now that they dumped a bunch of smaller publications.
Two terrific articles. In last weeks SI, a great article about the riots in Vancouver after the Bruins won the cup. While it is sports focused, it is quite a gripping story. Then, also last week in the NY Times, an article about Benton Harbor, Michigan and the socio-cultural upheaval going on there. As a start, it is in receivership and run by the state.
A couple of local notes. Some of the homeless pan handlers now have cell phones. My glass is half full side says that their programs provide them so that they have a way of being in touch in case of emergency. My glass is half empty side says that if they can afford that, why should I give them money? Your thoughts?
Bakery wars: I love the Blue Frog Bakery but it does not have slicing machine and I butcher bread when I cut it. But it is local and I like the guy who runs it. Now we have the Flying Pig which does slice the bread but is part of a chain. they swear they bake the bread daily and ship it down from Maine or NH. What to do?
SPORTS TALK
So I just finished watching the Pats win home field throughout. I am so confused about them I don't even know where to begin. Against the Broncos, the Dolphins, and now the Bills, they were so bad for a quarter or a half--then boom, lights out the rest of the way including defense. Today down 21-0 at the end of the first quarter and then they shut out the Bills the rest of the way. If they score 35 or more every game, I think they could win it all. But there is one good defensive team (perhaps 2) in the AFC and that's Baltimore and they could be trouble. In the NFC, the 49ers have the only good defense. Playing either Green Bay or New Orleans, the score collectively could be in the 80's.
It is way too early to worry about the Celtics but they have looked old and that's as much as I will say.
Except that James Harrison's hit on McCoy was horrific and I really think he should have sat out the rest of the season. It was so clearly head hunting that, given his history, he got off lightly.
Hope all of you have a healthy and peaceful New Year.
Sayonara.
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