Wednesday, June 27, 2007

BUCL Again

I must confess that I find it easier to explain what the new BUCL campaign is not than what it is. Whatever it is, it is not a campaign against Italy. The embarrassing failure of their short-lived campaign against Spain — short-lived because embarrassing — convinced them that making war on entire countries for the infractions of government officials or certain individuals or corporations may not be the best way of making friends or influencing people on behalf of our cause. The campaign against Spain, which did not even shy from recoursing to blood libels and bigotted appeals — and, indeed, consisted principally of blood libels and bigotted appeals — was big in pretensions but small in execution and results. A few paid ads in Google, three illiterate stickers pasted on a New York subway station, a few more within thirteen blocks of the Spanish consulate in Miami and none at all in Spain itself, was the extent of its "campaign" against Spain. Val & Henry's inability to communicate effectively in Spanish, which had them claiming that Spaniards were "blowing up" Cubans rather than "exploiting" them, was also a great handicap and will always be a great handicap in any campaign that requires them to express themselves in a language other than English. When Marti wrote about the importance of "paper trenches," he, of course, did not mean filling trenches with litter, but waging a war of ideas through the press (the only medium then available). Val & Henry were in no position to do so in Spanish. Unarmed and exposed fully, it is a miracle really that they were not aplatanados (Spanish colloquial expression meaning wiped out) by Spain's skilled polemicists. The reason, of course, is that their campaign never reached their ears or was deemed beneath their contempt.

If their first campaign had been against the "Dry Foot/Wet Foot" policy as I and others suggested, they would then have been able to utilize their communication skills in English, which would have served BUCL in good stead. Although it was not an officially declared "campaign," Henry's brilliant success last year in exposing the anti-Cubanism rampant at The Miami Herald via Herald Watch played an important role — perhaps the decisive role — in obtaining justice for the Miami Moonlighters and removing their persecutors from key positions at the paper. I have said it before many times and will say it again: this was the cleanest and most clear-cut victory that Cuban exiles have ever obtained in 48 years in this country. Let those who think that I am biased in any way against Henry (or Val) chew on that.

The smartest thing about BUCL's campaign against Spain was Val & Henry's quick retreat from their folly, which succeeded in nothing more than convincing many of their sponsors of their ineptness and the dangers inherent in associating with persons who act before they think and even when they do think never think things out. Well, in any case, let us be grateful at least that Val & Henry did not live in the 19th century for we should surely still be a colony of Spain.

Now on to the next campaign: the only thing that is actually clear about it (to me, at least) is that they have reduced the induction fee from $100 to $60. They are certainly on the right track in that respect; a few more prudent cuts and they may actually get where they should be. Better 100 people supporting you at $10 apiece than six supporting you at $100 or $60 apiece. Of course, then Henry would have to write 100 puff pieces and become my rival as the unofficial reviewer of Cuban-American blogs, but he would at least have a democratic rather than an elitist organization. And speaking of democracy, shouldn't BUCL elect its leaders rather than acclaim them by divine right? Even Marti stood for election as Delegate of the Cuban Revolutionary Party. You can't teach democracy unless you are willing to practice it yourself.

BUCL latest outing is called "The Campaign for the Invisible Ones." Of course, we know what they mean. Whether the guy in Podunk will figure it out is another matter. He is more likely to think of spirits, specters or Lon Chaney, Jr. than of Cuban political prisoners, whom Henry avers "the regime tries to make invisible." No, it is not the regime that makes them invisible: the unending persecutions, the undisguised public manner in which these are conducted, and the abuses practiced on the prisoners themselves which are publicized by their relatives and human rights advocates on the island, none of these should conduce to invisibility. The fact that they are in fact invisible is not owing to the regime but the mainstream media in this country which chooses to ignore what is plainly visible. But no matter. Whoever makes them invisible, it is clear that they are in fact invisible.

Now I find this a little harder to understand: the "BUCL Campaign for the Invisible Ones" is centered around "the South Florida stop of the highly-anticipated (by whom, Henry & Val?) world tour of The Police. What? Castro's police? No. The Police is a rock band (English, I think). The Police also accepted an invitation from the Castro regime to play for free in Havana in December. The Police loom very high in the cultural cosmology of Val & Henry and our friends at Killcastro, though they don't register at all on my radar. My question, of course, is: Why doesn't Henry call it "The Campaign Against The Police's Collaboration with the Castro regime." Perhaps because Henry actually likes The Police as opposed to Spaniards? That must be it. Their objective is to have The Police denounce the Castro regime as it once did apartheid in South Africa and Pinochet's government (my own radar just kicked in).

Now, it seems to us that this "Police initiative" is something that our friends at Killcastro initiated a while ago, although they did not dub their endeavors with a grandiloquent name or solicit donations to effect it. Still, since this is obviously something close to Henry's heart too, I think that he may be more committed and certainly more effective at persuading his idols that Castro is evil than at persuading the whole world that Spaniards are evil.

So, good luck Henry. You might even get to meet your idols.

77 comments:

Anonymous said...

Manuel, I am not saying that it is because our quiet letter writing campaign, or by the messages conveyed by our people in Cuba to Sting, the leader of The Police, that there's no official stop in their World Tour in Havana. If one reads the literature associated with the tour, one will notice that even though the media publicized "a stop in Havana" by Christmas, the official literature of the tour itself stops shy of mentioning such an event. Obviously, some thought has been given to the significance of having a concert in Cuba.
Maybe they chose to go to Cuba as an extra official stop for the tour, but.... that's their own prerogative, and if they do so they will do it fully informed (already) of what the situation is.
The funniest thing in the world is that Fantomas put a link in a comment thread about Sting jamming with Cuban musicians in Cuba, missing two points, one, it was not an officially sanctioned performance, it was not at a government sponsored shinding, and more important, Carlos Varela, a trobadour-rocker with no "hair in his tongue" was the one leading the happening.
Fantomas complains -rightfully so- that Gorki was not there. But he writes "Gorki not allowed", instead of "Gorki not invited". Hey, I am not invited to many functions in venues in which I am certainly allowed, it doesn't mean that I am banished from a place because I am not invited. If I were in Carlos Varela's shoes, I would certainly have invited Gorki, but hey, I am not in his shoes.
That's why our campaing mentions Porno Para Ricardo -and Gorki- by name and call The Police to meet with a band who has a lot of the energy of the early British Punk, plus the creole energy and the Cuban humour, which makes them unique.
I certainly hope that the campaign is to inform Sting and The Police of the Cuban situation, and not to accuse them of accomplices of the exploitation of the Cuban people by the tyranny, because accomplices they are not. Such an accusation would be counterproductive and will alienate them from helping the people of Cuba. They will surely fear a case of "biting the hand".
By the way, one can read more about this in my exchanges with Fantomas in this blog.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

Charlie:

I think that BUCL is only going to be throwing roses at the The Police, not aiming guns at them. As I said, Val & Henry love these guys and their music, just as surely, I may add, as they hate Spaniards and their own Spanish roots.

A denunciation of the regime's strictures on artistic freedom and a meeting with Cuba's own rockers would both be welcome developments. The latter, I think, more likely than the former.

I don't know what the BUCL campaign involves. Maybe they are going to rush the stage at the South Florida concert, throw themselves at their feet and petition them to appeal for freedom for Cuba. Actually, that would take some balls since they are surely to be soundly beaten if not killed by The Police's bodyguards.

Whatever they do, their efforts will not be as futile and self-defeating as their campaign against Spain.

Fantomas said...

The BUCL Invisible Ones campaign is poised to make history..

It is a combined effort para los que queremos hacer algo por los nuestros..

Las criticas son bienvenidas. Les recomiendo que aporten sus ideas como lo han hecho aqui en vez de blast el effort.

Recuerden todo lo que escriban en sus blogs sale en los searchs de google y compañia.

Necesitamos unity y posts que sean leidos por muchos en el mundo favorables a la campaña

Hagamos de esta campaña una exitosa . Los planes son buenisimos . ahora mismo ustedes no saben ni un 52% porciento de lo que sera la campaña final. Les aseguro que se llevaran tremenda sorpresa cuando el producto final sea unveiled.

La reputacion de Fantomas is on the line ..Invisible Ones campaña sobrepasara en cobertura a la anterior by several miles

You still got plenty of time ...will you jump onboard?

Anonymous said...

I am actually very confident in that they can achieve a lot if they get these musicians to talk -even on the United States soil, or in British soil, or Spanish soil- about the plea of the Cuban prisoners. I think that seeking a private conversation with them, and giving them literature and asking to help can be very good. A public confrontation will not be that great for the cause of the Cuban prisoners.
Sting already met with Cuban rockers, and jammed with them in a private house in Cuba. We had somebody follow his steps in Cuba and that person told us that he even knocked at doors of perfect unknowns for conversation, and that humble food and coffee was offered to him and that after he met with real Cubans he snubbed the government representatives and did not even wanted to stay at the Hotel Nacional anymore.
We found those developments very positive, and we think that some work can be done with him. The sole fact that he sat with Carlos Varela -who, unbeknown to him, has influenced the metric of the verses that one can find in the solo career of Sting- says a lot. Carlos is a very vocal critic of the system who has chosen to live in Cuba. He's been scorned by the establishment both in Cuba and Miami, and in both places he's got an underground following.
By the way, Sting is a cultured and cultivated person, who has worked not only with rock but with music from around the world, and with little known writings of poets of Mediaeval England as well.
In Cuba, he was interested in Cuban music and dance, the traditional genres, the Afro Cuban drumming, and he then discovered the big Cuban unknown: Cuban rock. That really fascinated him.
Carlos Varela's lyrics are very influenced by the free verses of Jose Marti, as he personally told me during the eighties.

bookster said...

Friends

The philosopher in me tends to always ask questions. Why are killcastro campaign free and bucl campaigns require donations.

It seems to me that if BUCL wants to be credible and ask for money for their campaigning they need to show some accountability, where did the money go, how effective was the campaign.

Anonymous said...

Corgiguy,
I can tell you why the KillCastro campaign was/is free. We asked people just to visit The Police numerous websites and leave messages for them. Our friends in Cuba told Sting about the conditions of life (in and outside prison) for Cubans in Cuba.
That was done without any money, because it was not necessary.

Fantomas said...

Both approaches are great ..uno cuesta y el otro no ... No hay ningun problema con eso. son dos cosas diferentes ,,pero las dos campañas se complementan porque tienen el mismo destino final..llevarle el awareness a Sting


"It seems to me that if BUCL wants to be credible and ask for money for their campaigning they need to show some accountability, where did the money go, how effective was the campaign. "

Señores tranquilos... Al ustedes no estar inside the campaign se les hace dificil entender el porque de el requerimiento del dinero. Lo que pasa es que esta campaña CUESTA DINERO... y todo ese dinero recolectado sera usado y los invoices presentados a todos los que participen. Esta BIEN BIEN BIEN CLARO que el dinero sera bien usado y las pruebas estaran ahi

Señores is only 60 dollars ... for god sake

in the 1 campaign a las personas que participaron se le envio en formato pdf all the recepits de lo gastado...

Fantomas said...

Manuel could you please put a picture of sting in this post or the Bucl logo para que la gente entre alla y se puedan informar mas y vean el video

Te lo agradecere for your readers make their own decisions si se quieren meter o no

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

fantomas:

Let me take a wild guess. This Sting is the lead singer of The Police?

I'll look for an appropriate illustration. If you have the HTML code for the video, you can send me that, too.

Jewbana said...

Manuel and Charlie:

With all due respect, the unity of the Cuban Exile Community is most needed. Please work with us, not against us. Get involved, we need the support of all who clamor for a Free Cuba. You are both very talented fellows. I am not a blogger, just someone who wants freedom for her homeland. As a sponsor of BUCL, I'm putting my money where my mouth is. I you knew what was really happening in this campaign, you might just join us.

Anonymous said...

Jewbana,
Don't you think that I am working on the same direction?
Do I have to join BUCL to prove it? No. I had enough of compulsory organization joining in Cuba, under kasstro, and still, I didn't buckle under the pressure, and I didn't join anything, and I paid for it dearly.
Now, your suggestion that we are not working for the same cause is kind of strange, and very surprising, I have to tell you. "Join us in the clamor for a free Cuba" sounds fine. Now, why can't we have our own clamor, which by the way is free and non compulsory?
I think that if we talk about clamors for a free Cuba you get a lot of them in the blogs we run, the only thing is that we don't march to anybody's drumbeat, recognize any bosses, or do whatever some self appointed leader wants us to do. We didn't do it in Cuba, so we don't do it here either. From there, to be working against other people is a stretch.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

Charlie:

Beautifully said and I'll subscribe my name to your reply to jewbana as well.

Jewbana:

A more careful reading of my post will tell you that I am not opposed to the second BUCL campaign. I even wished Henry good luck. More I cannot do.

Anonymous said...

Manuel, thanks.
As I said, I actually think it's a good idea to have that campaign. The difference will reside on its execution. A good idea can be killed execution style with the wrong approach. Which I will refrain from guessing about, since I am not privy to that information. As per good luck wishes go, hey, that's all I can (and will) do!

Fantomas said...

Manuel and Charlie

Fantomas understand your position since Iam alwayS advicating the same thing . I am my own boss ALWAYS... Follow no one... Fantomas works alone always...

pero hay circunstancias donde trabajar en quipo es ESENCIAL . Especialmente cuando el ultimate goal es el mismo... Sigan haciendo su parte , sus campañas gratuitas eso esta muy bueno... Fantomas respalda lo que ustedes hagan por otras vias. Que quede claro Fantomas reconoce que Manuel IS NOT BLASTING THIS CAMPAIGN on the contrary moralmente el SI LA RESPALDA...

Vana said...

I certainly hope they handle this one better, than the one against Spain, if not they would only make us Cubans look like fools again.
By the way aren't we in our own way clamoring for a free Cuba? I think we all are, for that is what we all want, we don't have to join any thing to do that.
And Charlie your answer was right on, the first time I heard of Sting going to Cuba was at Killcastro, I liked the way they went about it, I joined their ranks, and wrote to Sting, I think that flooding them with e mails is a better way of getting our message across, and not let some campaign do it for us.

Fantomas said...

Vana Good morning, Did Sting write you back?

Fantomas said...

http://cbs4.com/video/?id=36591@wfor.dayport.com

ese el el link del video que ya recorre el mundo Manuel para que lo pongas en tu blog.... it is not html ..

Sabes ponerlo como un vinculo?

Hay muchas fotos buenas de Sting y creo que el es el leader de la banda police Iam not sure about that..

Also quiero que quede claro una cosa aqui for all of you...

" el dia que fantomas crea o piense que un centavo de su donacion para BUCL ha sido usado incorrectamente, Ese dia, sera el ultimo dia de Fantomas participando en BUCl" ..

y hasta ahora Manuel eso NO HA OCURRIDO

QUE QUEDE CLARO ESTO PARA TODOS LOS ENVUELTOS.

bookster said...

Charlie

Beautifully said, i don't know you pesonally but i can tell by your posts that you are your own man, a free thinker, that you go by the beat of your own drummer.

As far as BUCL, i think time will be the judge on them maybe is best that we give them the benefit of doubt.

Manuel Here's a lyric from one of their songS, the song title is I BE WATCHING YOU, i think it might fit

Every breath you take
And every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
Ill be watching you

Every single day
And every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
Ill be watching you

Oh, cant you see
You belong to me
Now my poor heart aches
With every step you take

Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
Ill be watching you

Since youve gone, Ive been lost without a trace
I dream at night, I can only see your face
I look around but its you I cant replace
I feel so cold and I long for your embrace
I keep crying baby, baby please

Oh, cant you see
You belong to me
Now my poor heart aches
Every step you take

Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
Ill be watching you

Every move you make
Every step you take
Ill be watching you
Ill be watching you

Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
(Ill be watching you)

Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
(Ill be watching you)

Every move you make
Every vow you break
Every smile you fake
Every claim you stake
(Ill be watching you)

Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night you stay
(Ill be watching you)

Every breath you take
Every move you make
Every bond you break
Every step you take
(Ill be watching you)

Every single day
Every word you say
Every game you play
Every night

Fantomas said...

"can tell by your posts that you are your own man, a


this campaign is not a beauty pageant or a campaign about manhood

Esto no se trata de quien mea mas alto que el otro

think friend

Vana said...

Corgiguy:
I love that song, is one of my favorite by the Police, thanks for publishing it here

Anonymous said...

That's exactly why I am no part of a clique, Fantomas, because I am my own man. Actually, it's funny that you think that I would think that the campaing is a pissing contest or a manhood contest or a beauty contest, for which I have interest in participating in neither. Don't put words in my mouth, do yourself a favor.

Fantomas said...

Don't put words in my mouth, do yourself a favor.


charlie yo no dije que tu dijistes eso ..eso lo dijo el gorkyguy.. a ese me referia

slow down brother, tomate un calmante

Fantomas said...

"That's exactly why I am no part of a clique, Fantomas, because I am my own man"

Entonces en Cuba no hay hombres

bookster said...

Fantoma

You need to slow down and do your own thinking my friend. I was expressing respect and admiration for Charlie, who his own man and is able to speak his own mind without fear of the que diran. Isn't that what freedom is all about? How you link that to a beauty pageant or a pissing contest is beyond me

Anonymous said...

Fantomas, again with your nice messages to the Cuban people.
Good thing that the blog is also read there. So, what the fuck do you mean that then "en Cuba no hay hombres"?
Do you think that the prisoners are not men enough? Do you think that Gorki is not man enough?
Oh man, it's a waste of time to talk to you.... And I will drop fucking dead before participating in anything you're part of.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

Corgiguy:

Funny that you mentioned that song. In the last Babalú Radio Hour Henry actually played it and dedicated it to me. I wrote a post about it.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

fantomas:

Let me assure you that I believe both Val and Henry are honest men and would never use a cent that they collect for any other purpose than the stated one. This, of course, is not the same thing as saying that they are using the money wisely; but that's another matter altogether. If the contributors approve, then they should be free to do with the money as they see fit.

Jose Aguirre said...

Manuel and Charlie,

I read your blogs every day, just like I read many of the others that deal with Cuba. I really appreciate your efforts. I think that all our efforts are needed, and none should be wasted. You guys are both smart and talented so I hope that if you can think of any idea to help the current BUCL campaign you would send that input to Henry. The more that we all do, individually or in groups, the more that we will be able to help our enslaved brothers and sisters in Cuba.

Un abrazo, Jose

Anonymous said...

Jose,
First of all, thanks for taking the time to read my rants.
The trademark of the blogs I help to run, and also the blog Manuel runs here, is that our ideas are always on the open, so everybody who reads us can know about them.
So, if they are interested in any ideas of ours, they can read them on our blogs, or contact us for that matter.
What really tickles me is the across the board it seems to be a certain interest in recommending KillCastro, Manuel, and Charlie Bravo to join BUCL.
If we haven't done in our own accord it should be because we don't want to, and as I said before, I am not one who likes to join organizations, or who likes to relinquish my freedom to do what I want and get under the orders of someone. That's simply not my style.
I am a fiercely independent person who sees no benefit in joining organizations, anytime ones dos that, one has to abide by rules, regulations, whims, and desires expressed by the person who leads the pack.
I don't agree with the the methods, targets, and objectives spoused by BUCL till now, so there's no chance of seeing me joining or being associated with any of their campaigns in any manner, form, shape, or way. They are free to do what they feel is correct, I am free not to join them.
We do our own thing.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

José:

Good to see your name here again.

Val & Henry are both faithful readers of our blogs. Any suggestions that we make here will reach them.

Although I wish them well on their latest campaign, the memory of their blunders in the last one make me wary of joining them in any enterprise where they have sole control.

This does not mean that I will not praise them when their conduct merits it (as I have in the past) or deny them the benefit of my advice, which is worth considerably more than $60.00

Vana said...

Charlie and Corgiguy:
Don't be bothered by anything fanto says, his head is full of nothing, don't you know, he has NEVER read a book in his life! or so he claims, I find that statement of his, says a lot about him, talking to him, only wastes your fingers on the keyboard, he probably doesn't read all you write.

Jose Aguirre said...

Charlie, I understand your position. However, I was not asking you to join BUCL, rather just for you to submit any ideas that can help one cause that we all believe in, namely, freedom for all our political prisoners. I agree with you that anyone reading your blogs can get good ideas that can help us achieve our goals.

Anonymous said...

Jose,
My (our)ideas are in the archives of the blogs I(we) write for, and some others are scattered where I comment.
As per submitting ideas, well, it seems that our own letter writing campaign to Sting was not overlooked.

Jose Aguirre said...

Manuel, thank you for your welcoming remarks! Your comment about not denying them your advice is exactly what I really meant to say. Your advice can be extremely valuable and should be available to any one of us that is working toward the same ultimate goals even if we don't always agree on some particular tactics.

Fantomas said...

Vana no sea irrespetuosa... le salude esta mañana good morning y hasta ahora nada

will drop fucking dead before participating in anything you're part of.

Charlie How fucking old are you man?

tu eres un acomplejao o un niño de teta, cojone

me referi que tu decias que tu dont follow anyone..entonces me referi que en cuba ha habido una sola persona por 48 años diciendonos que tenemos que hacer y la gran mayoria de los hombres cubanos han seguido al lider,,,, only a handful are either dead , in jail or in exile no lo han seguido pero la gran mayoria de ellos han seguido al lider quieran o no, a la fuerza o con una pistola en la cabez apero lo han seguido ..quieres decir entonces que esos cubanos no son hombres porque siguieron a un lider

no me jodas

choose your words more carefully before opeing big filthy mouth of yours

and Manuel dont delete messages like you

Anonymous said...

What the hell do you care Fantomas?

Fantomas said...

tomate la pastilla y acuestate anda

Vana I think you are Charlie

Charlie / Kill/ Vana what the hell

Sharpshooter said...

Fantomas,
As I said on the Kill Kastro blog a few days back, sometimes I am inclined to believe you are either an agent provocateur, or you just enjoy planting the seeds of discord on these blogs. Why are you always creating discord? Is it obvious to me you are rubbing Charlie and everyone else the wrong way by your comments. If they told you they are fighting their own way, why can you just leave it at that? If you desire to joing BUCL that is fine, but please don't go around preaching to the choir. Everyone of us have the same goal: the end of the current regime in Cuba. There are many ways to channel our own efforts into doing just that. You do your own thing and let the others do theirs. Is that very difficult to understand.? Your insistence on everyone doing things your way is working against you and judging by the responses you are getting, is only increasing their dislike of your tactics. Try to work your own way and let all others think for themselves. Your intentions may be good but please don't stir the pot anymore, you evidently are not making many friends that way.

Vana said...

Well spoken Agustin, everything you said is totally true, fanto is obviously deranged, and in need of some prozac, he loves to come to this sites to plant discord, he takes everything we say out of context, I can reason with a child, better than I can with him, hell I can reason better with my dog, I for one am done with him

Fantomas said...

fanto is spoiling for a fight, ignore his ass, he's always talking about how he doesn't cuss

Never have Vana, unless provoqued in such a way that the blood boils at 200 degrees

No cuzzing allowed in my blog either that is a Fantomas sanctuary... It must remain clean , clean Super clean always

violators will be punish accordinly

Fantomas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fantomas said...

ya esta se pondra en tu blog como tu primer post automaticamente

.

Anonymous said...

Fantomas,
I am kind of busy to to that, why don't you go to KillCastro, search them, and link them in your blog? That'd be better, I gues.

Fantomas said...

Charlie dime el date para poner lo en mi blog...cual quieres que utilize..

mientras tanto lee esto acerca de la alimentacion en cuba

http://www.contactocuba.com/art3203.htm

culpo a fidel no a bush

Anonymous said...

put them all, please.

Sharpshooter said...

Fantomas,
once again your words come back to haunt you.
So, I am looking like a dumb donkey?
This words are coming from someone foolish eneough to have admiited on this blog that he never read a book!!
My word in my previous posting did not contain any insulting words or epithets questioning your intelligence. But I don't think I needed to do that since you yourself have done that already here.
I reiterate here what I sadi before. You do your thing and let others do theirs. If someone does not want to join BUCL, so be it, but do not question or impugne their motives. The goals are the same although the methods might be different. Who says yours in the best way to achieve that goal? You? I think not.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

Agustín:

Very true. The right of free association is also an important freedom which is denied to Cubans at home and should not be renounced here.

bookster said...

Well said Augustin! We need to stay away from pesonal attacks, let's challenge each others thinking, but let's doit with civility

Regading Fantoma cut's his oxigen and will dissapear!

Fantomas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
bookster said...

Fantoma

I can simply cut your oxigen, by ignoring you.

Fantomas said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Vana said...

Corgiguy:
Oxygen severed...lol

bookster said...

Vana

Saludos from the inland empire, I saw in one of your posts you are from socal and mentioned portos. I go there from time to me when i'm in that area. That bakery is a family owned a great cuban-american success story! They have a second one in Burbank. Here's a link to how it all started

http://www.portosbakery.com/howitallstarted.htm

Sharpshooter said...

Corgiguy:
My advise to you is to ignore Fantomas altogether. He thrives on attention and this is his oxygen. When Vana finally ignored him, he keeps asking "where is Vana?" where is Vana?" but since she did not respond, he finally gave up on her.
And oh, by the way, be careful because if you make him angry his blood will boil at 200 degrees! Mind you, not at 212 degrees Fahrenheit as it should, but 200!! Well anyway, you should excuse him, because the poor thing as he says, has never read a book, and probably hasn't open a Physics or Chemistry book either!

bookster said...

Augustin

I hear you, i try to discuss issues not the person, but sometimes the person just gets in the way, in those case we cut the oxygen.

i think we can all learn from another if we if stick to discussing the issues or ideas put forth, we don't have agree with one another, sometimes we have to learn to agree to disagree.

Fantomas said...

Manuel si Fantomas no es apreciado aqui con mucho gusto me marcho y no regreso,,, Te doy 24 horas para que tomes cartas en el asunto . Una no respuesta significaria mi cese de participacion en este blog

Fantomas stays wherever he is Welcome and appreciated...

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

fantomas:

Remember: it's about the cause, not personalities. This may seem odd coming from me, but my battles with Val & Henry are not in any way personal because that would require that I know them personally, which I do not. It's their misguided ideas that concern me and their potential to do harm inadvertently, not intentionally. I endeavor to educate them with humor and a touch of irony. Much of it, I know, goes above their heads, but, occasionally, something sticks and I am glad for it.

Their childish attempts to respond to me amuse me. They are greatly handicapped in that respect because they do not dare even to mention my name for fear it might cause a stampede to this blog.

My recommendation to you is to follow my example.

I am frankly surprised that you are so thin-skinned. I seriously doubt that everybody is going to "cut the oxygen" to you. Besides you are already used to breathing the mustard gas that you are always setting off, so what is "oxygen" to you? Continue commenting and I am sure someone will always respond to you even if it has to be me.

Whether you stay or leave is up to you. I have always welcomed everyone to this blog, which is all that I can do. But even if no one commented here, I should still continue to blog for fear that the lack of oxygen would stifle my fans at Babalú who, for whatever reason, spend their days and nights here.

Vana said...

Corgiguy:
I'm in the Inland Empire too, my, my, what a small world, where are you? I'm in North Rialto, is good to have you nearby.

The Wizard said...

fantomas:


It is better to ask and appear ignorant than to remain ignorant.

I have observed you for sometime.You are constantly doing things to get attention and is becoming quite annoying. You have a low self-esteem,you need some confidence building seek some type of help.You seem to have something to prove but you are coming out that wrong way. Do you understand what appropriate behavior is?

Remember the old playground chant.

"Sticks and Stones might break my bones, but words can never hurt me!"

bookster said...

Vana

A small world indeed! Rialto that's in San Bernadino county near redlands? I'm in Riverside county in the Hemet/Temecula area.

Vana said...

Yes Corgiguy it is San Bernardino County, not too far from Redlands, that's where my kids live, I know where you are, not far from me at all, tell me you own Corgis? is that why the name? I have a Scottish Terrier, but like Corgis too.

Fantomas said...
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Fantomas said...
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The Wizard said...

fantomas:

You are a disturbed individual, seek help quickly before is to late. Alex ,sorry but no cigar try again.Are you obessess with alex? Nobody likes a bully or a coward.

Like I said before

"Sticks and Stones might break my bones, but words can never hurt me!"

Can you comprehend English?

Nothing I Say is Meant to Offend Unless You're a Moron.

The Wizard said...

fantomas:

I'm your worse nightmare.

bookster said...

Vana, yeah I have 2welshcorgies thus i'm the corgiguy! How do you like in the Inland Empire?

Fantomas said...
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Vana said...

I love it out here, except that is getting a bit crowded, when I moved here 22 years ago, it really was a rural community, am trying to sell and move to highland, but these are not selling times, will wait and see, When I got my second Scottie it came all the way from Alabama in a van, there was a corgi in the van on it's way to Riverside County, was the corgi for you?

bookster said...

Vana

My corgies came from phelan. Yeah i love it here to, the only downside there's not many cuban restaurtants in this area.

I have a friend that has cabin in running springs, it's beautifull out there.

Vana said...

Corgiguy:
Right you are when you say there are no Cuban reataurants out here, do you know of any? I don't, for that we must go to LA, that's why all our parties are catered through Porto's, ah Cuban food, that's the stuff dreams are made of..lol,
It must be beautiful in Running Springs, will have to venture that way, some day

Sharpshooter said...

Fantomas,
this is what I was trying to tell you a few days ago. You seem to rub people the wrong way, bro. Why do you continue to pick fights with everyone? May I quote Fantomas to you?
"Please, tomate una pastillita and chill out". Try to listen a little more and then maybe you will not make so many enemies and instead you'll make friends. Do you remember the old saying: el que mucho habla, mucho yerra.? It seems everytime I turn around and look, you are in a dispute with someone. Try a different attitude and maybe things will change. What is the harm in trying?

Fantomas said...

Where is Manolo, el director de este blog?

Has anyone seen Mr Tellechea?

Manolo dice Chavez en rusia que quiere la union sovieticaa se levante como fue antes, el burro quiere resucitar a la momia lenin..

por favor escribe algo al respecto in your own words

thanks

bookster said...

Augustin

I think fanto needs to read some poetry, you think? Here's a favorite of mine from the son American Tune by paul-simon

--------

Many's, the time I'v been mistaken
And many times confused
Yes, and often felt forsaken
And certainly misused
But I'm all right, I'm all right
I'm just weary to my bones
Still, you don't expect to be
Bright and bon vivant
So far away from home, so far away from home

And I don't know a soul who's not been battered
I don't have a friend who feels at ease
I don't know a dream that's not been shattered
or driven to its knees
But it's all right, it's all right
We've lived so well so long
Still, when I think of the road
we're traveling on
I wonder what went wrong
I can't help it, I wonder what went wrong

And I dreamed I was dying
And I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
And looking back down at me
Smiled reassunngly
And I dreamed I was flying
And high up above my eyes could clearly see
The Statue of Liberty
Sailing away to sea
And I dreamed I was flying

We come on the ship they call the Mayflower
We come on the ship that sailed the moon
We come in the age's most uncertain hour
and sing an American tune
But it's all right, it's all right
You can't be forever blessed
Still, tomorrow's going to be another working day
And I'm trying to get some rest
That's all I'm trying to get some rest

Vana said...

Corgiguy:
Loved it specially the part that says,
I don't know a dream that's not been shattered
or driven to it's knees
like our dreams of a free Cuba.
Btw Fanto doesn't read, so your efforts are worthless.

bookster said...

Vana

I love paul smion's song. He's a poet! This song to me is about the immigrant experience. triumphs and the heartaches, the expectations, the feeling of loss.

The verse that does it for me is this one.
--------------------------
And I dreamed I was dying
And I dreamed that my soul rose unexpectedly
And looking back down at me
Smiled reassunngly
And I dreamed I was flying
And high up above my eyes could clearly see
The Statue of Liberty
Sailing away to sea
And I dreamed I was flying
-------

Dying because of what you left behind, but flying realizing that now you are free

Vana said...

He really is a poet, I enjoy his songs very much, I see you do too

Fantomas said...

Btw Fanto doesn't read, so your efforts are worthless.


palabras con luz Vana, diste en el clavo..very much worthless