Saturday, June 23, 2007

The Long-Awaited and Much-Requested Fantomas Review


I can honestly say that no one has begged or cajoled me as persistently as fantomas for a review of his blog. The only way I can take this is as a compliment directed at both of us: at me because he obviously values my critical acumen, and at him because he must be supremely confident of his abilities and of his blog to thus inopportune me.

Enrique, the transcriber of AbajoFidel and a spiritualist, perhaps, claims to channel some mysterious entity from Santiago de Cuba named fantomas. Now, there are indeed two personalities writing this blog, but not two persons. These personalities co-exist in the same psyche — one serious and the other farcical: the latter detracting from the former as the former adds to the latter. The fantomas who regales us on our blog is irreverent and uncontrollable (except by me). In a previous incarnation he went by the moniker "Pee Wee Herman," which says a lot about his ability to laugh at himself and confirms the solitary nature of his acts. Pee-wee was much more radical and confrontational than even fantomas and his pranks were more destructive. Fantomas is a more refined version of Pee Wee but not refined enough. It still provides a contrast to the blog's other personality who goes by the name of Enrique and is as formal and earnest as fantomas is casual and intemperate. Recently fantomas asked me to remove the Anonymous filter, eliminate verification and invite the forces of anarchy as permanent guests on RCAB. On his blog, he moderates every comma, and, we suspect, tailors the comments to match his own opinions and be an extension of them. Ultimately this is the only use which preemptive censorship, as I long ago dubbed moderation, has — to alter reality and create opinion by falsifying opinion. Of course, fantomas is not the only proponent of so-called moderation and he is certainly no exception in exercising the freedom on other blogs which he denies to his own readers. Yet that is his prerogative; one which I, for one, would be wary to espouse because it is so blatantly hypocritical and at odds with everything which all of us swear we want for Cuba.

On his blog, that little well-regulated universe of his where the lawns are always trimmed and no one speaks out of order, Enrique occasionally rears his head above fantomas' clownish mask. He is the only blogger and among the few of his generation to be acquainted with the fine Cuban art of choteo, to which no less a sage than Jorge Mañach devoted his best book. Hence he can be so unaffected as to say (as he has here) that he does not understand the "Wet Foot/Dry Foot" policy and never did, or so completely shamefaced as to incite, by twisting people's words or intimating that some unflattering truth is being concealed from them, useless conflict that only feeds his warped sense of the ridiculous. He is not a humorist in any sense, but an exploiter of human foibles, the guy who points and laughs when somebody stumbles. This obviously amuses him and may feed some inner need to sow chaos and let others reap the whirlwind. Yet I must confess that I am at times amused by his enormities; the character of the man because of its many peculiarities of mind and temperament is not without interest to a clinical mind. In fantomas we are dealing with someone who is an ass intentionally and unapologetically. Val Prieto, by way of comparison, is an ass also, but always unintentionally and even unbeknownst to him. In fantomas it is an imposture; in Val, it is Nature.

We have inserted Val in this review for a purpose, which is to test whether fantomas is, as he has asserted one hundred times here, his own man who BUCLes to no one. May it be so. Yet I have on more than one occasion felt that he was BUCL's special envoy to this blog, granted letters of marque by Val & Henry to foment chaos here, and that fantomas, at any moment, would hoist the Jolly Roger. To suppose that Val & Henry could really have such power over somebody else is really to suppose a lot. The real proof of their control will come when they request the second $100 contribution, which I understand they have just done. If fantomas reproduces this review on his own blog, with the casual references to Val, we shall have prove of his honesty. If not, it will be proven that he is indeed in Val's thrall and functions as an appendage of him. We will see bye the bye

We asked fantomas to provide us with three posts from his blog that would show him at his best, demonstrating by this request, I think, the best disposition towards him. This he has kindly done, and it is to these three post that I will refer in judging him as a blogger in his own right and not just as a frequent guest here. One of these posts is entitled "Raúl Castro Should Take the First Step." In opening Cuba, that is. That such a thing could even be considered as a possibility — and it is more likely that the Martians will land and liberate us — shows a facet of fantomas' moral universe which is as virginal as a newborn. If he can believe for even a moment that Raúl can be susceptible to change from pressure at home let alone be the initiator of it, then there is nothing that he won't believe. We certainly hope that fantomas is at least a bit more cynical than Enrique. This explains to us, however, his infantile faith in BUCL because Val & Henry's are much more likely to bring change to Cuba than Raúl though somewhat less likely than the Martians. The other post that he suggests to us turns out to be the same post, which we assume is meant as emphasis. We will just as emphatically assert that Raul will gladly forgo the financial benefits (to himself) of adopting the Chinese model in order to avoid a Tianamen Square in the "Plaza de la Revolución." He knows that if he opens the pressure cooker even a little bit it will explode in his face. Absolute control he can manage; anything else is suicide.

There is yet a third article for us to review, but we can't find it. Loathe to review him on the basis of just one (dipsy) post, we went on to read others on our own and found every other post better than the one he submitted to us. This is a positive development; for otherwise we would have serious reservations indeed about his sanity. As it is we find him to be very traditional and unobjectionable in his views overall (and this may be the worst thing we can say about him from his perspective).

In truth, we expected far more from fantomas. What we found is that he is not nearly as "in your face" on his own blog as he is elsewhere. Not that he's exactly passive but hardly the firebrand that we had expected. Certainly no killcastro or Charlie Bravo. But perhaps I am being unfair to him by comparing him to such models. The success of his blog depends on him infusing more of himself in it. Perhaps this is not possible because he can only be himself when engaged in reparte with somebody else and Enrique and his alter ego fantomas never tangle. He is desperately in need, I think, of a more contrarian alter ego.

Complacido, fantomas.

Now, who is next on line for a review?

42 comments:

Sharpshooter said...

Manuel,
I hope Fantomas is pleased now that you finally made him happy with your review.
I would love a critical review of the Armengol blog, Cuaderno de Cuba. There you can find criticism of the regime but posted in such a tepid way and so wrappped up in apologia, as to make one want to vomit in disgust. Every other post in a supposedly labeled Cuaderno de Cuba, is a blatant and vitriolic criticism of the US and specially the Miami exile community. That in itself might not be bad, for they are not perfect and subject to criticism if warranted, if it would be compesated by criticism of it enemies. But Armengol does not miss a chance for example, to criticize the exile community for feeling some joy for the passing of Vilma Espin, lamenting the lack of humility and Christian forgiveness for such a vile character. One is pained to find in the so-called Cuaderno de Cuba any hint of criticism of the Communist regime and when one is posted, is always veiled in an attack on the exile community. One would never find any reproach of said regime without the counter balance of an atack on the enemies of that regime,specially those who reside in Miami.
As a final point, one sure to rile you and hopefully to awaken your appetite for such a review, his criticisim of Jose Marti begs for someone to set him in his proper place. His comment: "Woe unto a country whose national hero is a poet" left me fuming with anger and fury. Also he claims to be a Cuban, has spent most of his life there, and yet said many times that he hates Cuban food and finds it horrible. This last item although some may considered it trifle, it hurt my pride; but then he was born after the Revolution so his knowledge of Cuban cuisine may be somewhat limited. On this point his ignorance may be overlooked.

Vana said...

Agustin:
How can anyone hate Cuban food, it's one of the best cuisine in the world, at least in my estimation, we have a bakery called Portos, here in Glendale Ca, let me tell you,people from every country imaginable, is there in line to experience the wonderful things, baked and cooked there, I myself have spoken to Germans, Italians and others, while in line there, they love the food served there, we wouldn't imagine throwing a party, where the food is not bought at Portos.

How there any one say, "woe unto a country whose national hero is a poet" who ever spoke those words is an ignorant fool, for Marti was more than a poet, he wrote and planned our war for independance, had the American's not butted in, we would have won that war according to the way he wrote it, and I will say this, if Marti were alive today, we would all be more united, he would have incited us thus, amd maybe we would already have a Cuba Libre

Vana said...

Manuel

You did it! you reviewed Fantomas blog, I must say you treated him with respect.
Seems to me that fantomas has two personalities, maybe more, where one does not know what the other one says or does, I think he is in need of psychiatric help, or at least would benefit form it.

Fantomas said...

Well done ... Manuel Gracias por haberme dedicado un poquito de tu tiempo en el review. I will post it on my blog completely.. Thanks again man. You rock Manuel, You rock..

Y si estoy de acuerdo con Agustin next should be Armengol o Rui Ferrerira Miami herald bloggers

Fantomas said...

Manuel I tried to enter into Yanomas blog site but it is out of service... Can you tell me any news on that? Anyone knows where alex is? I am worry about him

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

fantomas:

Ya No Más's blog may have been the victim of a cyber-attack such as was launched against killcastro this week-end. Visit killcastro for more details. All evidence points to Castro's agents.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

Agustín, Vana & fantomas:

To humor my good readers and new friends I will do almost anything. So, yes, I will turn my attention now to Armengol's blog and do for it what I did for Oscar Corral's. In addition, I will make his despicable views on José Martí my especial concern.

Nemesis said...

Funny how after your review of his blog he comes to OUR blog to spew all sorts of bullshit like "Cubans are NOT starving" ‘cause they have LA LIBRETA .!
Now this is the biggest asshole on earth a KaSSTRO agent or as bipolar as they come.
He then goes to paste 20 paragraphs of utter bullshit to make his point that Cubans are NOT starving.
I wonder how in hell this twat made his way to OUR blog and I realize the mere comparison to us (in your review) may have sparked the interest.
After I replied in our "ON YOUR FACE" approach to bullshit and suggested he went back and kissed his BlogDidy’s pee-pee … we were THREATENED.. REFRAIN IMMEDIATELY from calling me names.” WOW , TREMBLE TREMBLE! Well he does act and flip-flops with the same commonality that out friends in North Cuba do so before he had a chance to get the notion he would have a hijacking post at KillCastro I just told him to go fuck himself WITH the explanation (which was an unusual considerate gesture of my part) that we were not in the VERY least as open or democratic as RoCAB was.
Of course I could had just deleted his defense of KaSStro’s nutritional support of the Cuban people, but an idiotic remark as “NOT ONE SINGLE CUBAN HAS EVER DIED OF STARVATION “(under KaSStro) deserved a smack of a reality check & some logical thinking for this dolt’s vacuous skull by pointing out that starvation is not only the fact of people dropping dead for lack of food. Poor food supplements leads to the ton and a half of maladies that Cubans suffer constantly and they are all related to malnutrition and EVENTUALLY lead to DEATH! (Guess this guy’s gray matter can not make THAT connection on his own).
So although I do not have time to read but three blogs, your review has sufficed to tell me a LOT about “Fantomas” and his delusion of grandeur . Thanks ‘Cause his next post WILL wind up in the garbage can and NO MORE Mr. nice guy for this basket case !

Sharpshooter said...

Manuel,
below is a fragment of the article Armegol wrote about Marti, which is available on the El Nuevo Herald archives but in order to read the complete article, one has to pay for it. I refuse to give a single cent to the Herald to read anything, but the sample below will give you an idea of the kind of Cuban this despicable character is.

ENTERRAR A MARTÍ
Creo que para los cubanos ha llegado la hora de enterrar a José Martí. No se trata de olvidarlo, sino de bajarlo del pedestal que sólo sirve de provecho a los arribistas de cualquier tendencia. Otorgarle el valor merecido a sus escritos y dejar que los críticos valoren sus versos -algunos brillantes, otros mediocres- y los historiadores continúen analizando su papel en la fundación de la república cubana. Es lamentable que en la formación de la nacionalidad se sobrevalore un cuerpo...

The writing above is all one can read without paying for the rest.
I hope you are able to find the complete article somewhere which was written for the Herald in July 2006 to form an opinion of this so called pseudo-intelectual diatribe about Jose Marti. If you can find it, please don't forget to have a barf bag nearby in order to finish reading the article. It is disgusting and offensive to any Cuban anywhere who honors our Apostle.

Vana said...

Now he's trying to hijack your site KC as he's tried to do here, pay not too much attention to fanto he's not well in the head, it's quite obvious to me

Vana said...

Manuel:
I can't wait for your review, put that idiot in his place, for all of us.
I hope you guys realize that when I wrote there I meant Dare.

Fantomas said...

pay not too much attention to fanto he's not well in the head, it's quite obvious to me

Vana , please dont make the same mistakes others use against fanto..

Beware Difamacion. difamation is punishable in certain countries

Anonymous said...

Enjoy this civil answer for now, Fantomas:
The responsibility of feeding the Cuban people DOES NOT belong to any government. It belongs to the Cuban people since the Cuban people WILL NOT become a people of beggars. Cubans will reject any paternalistic society that will have power of food or famine on them.
They are responsible of feeding themselves. Instead, the responsibility for STARVING the Cuban people is shared by both Governments, one because it denies the basic food intake to the Cuban people (kasstro, like an abusive paternalistic figure let them starve) and another one denies the segment of the Cuban people who lives here the legal ways of exerting THEIR RESPONSIBILITY which is to help their brothers and sisters in help .
So both governments have made illegal to help the Cuban people.
But we still have Cubans who REFUSE to take that responsibility onto themselves and still we have other Cubans who DESIRE to IMPOSE on the rest of us the ABANDONMENT of the Cuban people to their own resources.
That policy is just tantamount to kill the victims of abuse to eliminate abuse. On top of that you have the dry foot wet foot.
All of them are the NEW Valeriano Weylers of the day. If you don't know who he is, Manuel surely will provide you with the kind of free education that castro don't provide anyone: a lesson in real history.

Fantomas said...

Blah , blah

Fantomas said...

BUCL proposal

For those who though the 2 campaign was in Italy..

Well , it is much closer that that...

Please read the proposal I am sure you will enjoy participating in this one which will benefit the political prisoners... We are fighting for them ..We need as many cubans in exile willing TO DO SOEMTHING in their behalf... And Manuel this time it is not 100 ..ok it is less than that

Anonymous said...

Ah Fantomas, actually the idea of talking to Sting about the political prisoners WAS LIFTED from KillCastro
search our archives, man, and look for our letters to Sting, and our campaigns to send equipment to the Cuban musicians and get Porno Para Ricardo to meet with the Police to tell them about the Cuban reality.

Anonymous said...

It's not difficult for you to find it, but I will do some legwork for you and the BUCLers. Write Sting in our search box. And you will get tons of results, among them these ones:
http://www.killcastro.com/blog/2007/05/message-in-bottle.html
http://www.killcastro.com/blog/2007/01/police-reunion-in-making.html
http://www.killcastro.com/blog/2007/04/ellas-bailan-solas.html
http://www.killcastro.com/blog/2007/01/dream-of-blue-turtles.html
http://www.killcastro.com/blog/2007/02/police-blotter.html
We are glad to inform you that for our campaign we don't ask people for any money, if you want to participate the only thing you have to do is visit Sting's web page and send them an e-mail, as many readers of our blog have done already.
We are also glad to tell you that our plan to send equipment to be donated to Cuban musicians in Cuba with them is in the works.
Make sure you read all the comments.
Good luck with your campaign.

Anonymous said...

Sorry if the links don't work, type Sting or The Police (different results) in the search box of KillCastro and you will see it all....

Fantomas said...

I am glad you guys did campaigns for Sting... This is another step in the right direction ...the problem is not the 60 bucks... that money is to pay for something that requires dollars... is there a problem with that? Iam sure you can spare 60 .... this is your opportunity again to call AGAIN the attention og Sting, remmember the more we do this the better, it doesnot matter if you did it first , lo que importa es seguir haciendolo hasta que Sting se canse de oir nuestros reclamos... en diciembre el va a Cuba i told Gorki personally y el no sabia nada de la visita , pero ahora lo sabe ... Gorki me dijo que si sting iba en son de congraciarse con los comunistas que el no tenia ninguna intencion de verlos..Asi son las cosas. Esperemos que con todo esto Sting cambie de parecer y por lo menos while in Cuba que no lo haga el juego completo a la dictadura y hopefully en el concert se tire dos o tres indirectas para los jovenes como hizo el papa...(aunque por supuesto sin mucho resultado )todavia

So please joint BUCL today or if you are reluctant to do so por past problems with the organizers at least have the decency to encourage your readers to participate ...this is not for us BUT FOR THE INVISIBLE ONES ...the cuban political prisoners

Anonymous said...

Our readers Fantomas don't need any encouragement to join an organization we wouldn't join ourselves. They join whatever they want in their own accord and free will. We don't actually do recruiting for anybody.
I have no idea if Sting will ingratiate himself with the communists, as per the last time he was there he did not, but since you can't be sure, that's why we started our letter writing campaign many moons ago. No buckling on our part, we are not joining BUCL. I am glad to tell you that we have another campaign to send stuff to Cuba to help people, but that goes agaisnt the grain with what you believe. By the way, we conduct that out of the public light so the commies cannot trace it and we don't set minimum or maximum quotas per participant.
Maybe it's better that Gorki keeps himself hungry so he produces those amazing songs with an empty stomach, according to whatever you've written before.

Fantomas said...

thats exactly what we need cubans helping other cubans....

Uncle sam cant doi t by himself

W is saved for now

Fantomas said...

the communists, as per the last time he was there he did not,

If they received an oficial invitation from papa fidel was because they had to somehow play the regimes game....

no importa si ellos jamearon con otros musicians. todo esta por verse ya Gorki lo dijo ...como se comportan en la visita de diciembre


by the way han tendio las gestiones de ustedes enviar e mail a sting algun resultado has he answer any of you back

Anonymous said...

We're not in position to publicly discuss anything yet since we are not going to compromise the safety of our sources in Cuba.
Do you really think that fidel castro invites foreign musicians to Cuba?
As per now, for you and the BUCL at large to know, there's no confirmation yet to any presentation in Cuba, as information received by our people there goes.
Sorry to breaks the news to everybody, but maybe that's the result to a campaign of letter writing done discreetly pointing out what the situation of the Cuban musicians, the Cuban people, the Ladies in White, and the political prisoners or maybe not. Maybe that's the result of people from inside Cuba writing letters to the band or maybe not.
That's as much as I can tell you. No mass mail outs or anything else, just a few well written well articulated letters sent to the right people could do wonders.
Will there be a presentation in Cuba? I don't know. If a presentation happens, will Sting address any of the problems he has been told about? I have no idea.
It's all to be seen.

Fantomas said...

The concert may or may not happen ...maybe the pressure from those letters and what they are about to witness in Miami july 10 will make sting change his mind..Hopefully he will take the cuban cause the same way he did for apartheid in southafrica ..like Campinioni says if we can get a Paris hilton , Britney Spears bring the cuban issue into the MSM then we will have something big

excellent job man with your free Sting campaign with your sources inside of cuba

Fantomas said...

Where is Vana, bring her to me

Fantomas said...

manuel que feo ese fantomas...parece un condon

Saca esa foto de tu blog que te lo va a dañar

Fantomas said...

Do you really think that fidel castro invites foreign musicians to Cuba?


yes AUDIOSLAVE NORTH AMERICAN BAND

Y PA QUE GOCES LEE ESTO... NO GORKI ALLOWED

http://www.lajiribilla.co.cu/2007/n299_01/299_04.html

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

fantomas:

I do have a photo of Enrique. If you want me to use that photo instead, please let me know.

Fantomas said...

Manuel que pasa brother are you going to blow my cover now.. c mon use blog etiquette.compadre

Fantomas said...

La Risa Remedio Infalible

La risa puede ser un grito de desesperación, January 23, 2004
Cuba es la cuna del realismo mágico: un lugar donde la verdad se enmascara con bromas y las bromas encubren a menudo verdades que no pueden ser dichas. Ahora mismo hay alguien en una cárcel cubana, condenado por un "sueño subversivo". Mientras esperaba en una larga cola para recibir su ración mensual de frijoles y azúcar (ahora racionada en lo que una vez fuera la "azucarera del mundo"), este infeliz y desesperado ciudadano contó el sueño tenido la noche anterior acerca de que alguien había asesinado al líder máximo. El sujeto fue encarcelado inmediatamente para que nunca más cometiera el crimen de soñar en público. Esto no es un chiste, aunque en un mundo donde todo gira alrededor de los caprichos, locuras y fobias de un hombre omnipotente, la vida es una eterna broma para quienes quedaron atrapados en esa pesadilla.
La broma comenzó el 1ro. de enero de 1959, y ahora tiene el récord de ser la más larga de la historia. Convirtió una nación, que estuvo entre las tres más adelantadas del hemisferio occidental, en un país paupérrimo. Tuvo el privilegio de convertir a gente proverbialmente feliz y despreocupada, en una tribu de autómatas pesimistas y tristes, donde se castiga la individualidad e iniciativa, y las únicas formas de vida son la pasividad y el estancamiento. Esa es la verdadera herencia de la revolución cubana. La legión de doctores que componen los huesos que rompe la seguridad del estado o la legión de profesores que enseñan a los jóvenes a no pensar, no puede cambiar esa realidad.

Fidel Castro y su hermano Raúl ("Big Brother" y "Little Brother") han sido siempre blancos del humor de los cubanos. El primer medio de prensa que Castro suprimió después de tomar el poder en 1959, no fue, como cree la mayoría, el "Diario de la Marina" (fundado en 1832), el más viejo del país y enemigo acérrimo del comunismo antes y después la revolución. No, el primer medio de prensa que Castro cerró fue Zig-Zag, la revista humorística más popular de Cuba. Poco después prohibió al actor cómico más querido y popular de Cuba, Leopoldo Fernández ("Trespatines"), porque en una actuación teatral, mientras señalaba hacia un gran retrato de Fidel Castro, dijo: "a este tenemos que colgarlo bien alto".

Durante los próximos cuarenta y cinco años no habrían más bromas políticas públicas en Cuba (en 1965, el Máximo Canalla también prohibió la celebración de las Navidades en ese país católico, interdicción que duró hasta la visita del papa a Cuba, 30 años después). Sin embargo, los cubanos no perdieron el sentido del humor ahora velado por la tristeza, sino que devino en clandestino. Hace diez años, un atrevido e ingenioso cubano en la isla, Modesto Arocha, comenzó a compilar los chistes sobre la revolución y se las arregló para sacar de contrabando a los Estados Unidos la antología, donde la publicó (bajo un seudónimo) la Editorial Universal, de Miami.

La tercera edición del libro, publicada también en los Estados Unidos por el mismo autor ahora en el exilio, y naturalmente prohibida en Cuba, constituye un monumento al espíritu indomable de algunos hombres heroicos y divertidos, que no dejarían morir la risa en Cuba, aún en medio de un adoctrinamiento interminable.

La risa puede ser un grito de desesperación tanto como las lágrimas una expresión de felicidad. Hay esencialmente dos maneras de comportarse ante la depredación y privaciones de una tiranía: entregarse a la autoridad y volverse su esclavo y cómplice, o luchar con cualquier arma a la disposición, entre ellas la sublimación del desprecio mediante el humor.

Oye, no te apures que yo tengo una foto tuya bien buena

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

fantomas:

Don't worry: I know everybody's real identity and haven't yet seen the need to expose anyone.

I see you have been busy googling my writings in Spanish. Well, at least you are satisfied now that I am as adept in one language as in the other.

Fantomas said...

No te emociones , you do ok in spanish , just ok

Where is Vana, I have not say good morning to her yet

Fantomas said...

Can you do me a favor....

Could you review the pathetic spectrum del funeral de vilma ...

por favor entre a mi blog y mira el video completo

www.abajofidel.blogspot.com

RCAB should pronounce itself

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

fantomas:

I think you would be quite pleased with yourself if you could do as well as me in English, Spanish or any other language.

Should I post for you my works in Hindi? Let me know.

Sharpshooter said...

Fantomas,
I also did a search in Google on Manuel's works and found an interesting entry about his translation of Jose Marti's verses from the Spanish into English. It reads as follows:

This is the first bilinqual edition of the 19th-century Cuban literary master’s classic book of poetry.

“Tellechea’s excellent translation and introduction bring Martí to life . . . Recommended.” —Library Journal

“The fruit of [Tellechea’s] 20-year effort is a nicely-textured set of verses, a work that is more an interpretation of Martí’s essence than a strictly literal translation.” —The Miami Herald

I recently visited your own blog
and saw the posting for Manuel's review of your blog. You called him "The nutty professor" a choice of words that reveals more about you than I can ever imagine. In my youth I once heard the saying: "la ignorancia es atrevida".
I am also curious to know how many books you have written and had published so I can order them from amazon.com. I cannot speak for others who comment here, but I am willing to bet they would like to know that fact too. Will you please indulge my curiosity and let me know?

Fantomas said...

Agustin I have never read a book in my entire life.. Eso te lo debe explicar todo..

Algun dia escribire algo

Recuerda yo no soy periodista, escritor, agronomo , medico, arquitecto... No... A mi lo unico que me interesa es liberar a 11 millones de personas del yugo opresor. That's it my friend

I care less bout book writtings and the likes

By the way my book is MY BLOG... WELCOME TO THE 22 CENTURY

Fantomas said...

MANNY NO ME HAS HECHO CASO... me gustaria ver tu review del patretico funeral de vilma el video lo consigues en mi blog

gracias anticipadas..espero respuesta...dont make me beg you for another review

Sharpshooter said...

Fantomas,
you are way ahead of me. I thought I was living in the 21st Century, but now you tell me that this is actually the 22nd Century. My apologies for my ignorance.
As far as your comment: "I have never read a book in my whole life", well, what can I say to top that! Only to say that I pity you, because the Internet might be a powerful tool in today's world, but I still think books have their place in the world and our culture. I like to read books, perhaps because I am old fashioned, after all I am well past my 60th year living on this Earth. But take a word of advise from an old man, do yourself a favor and visit your local library, you may be surpised what treasures you might find there waiting for you.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

Agustín:

Thank-you for your remarks to fantomas which saved me the trouble of addressing him. The article about laughter which he quotes is one of the few that I have written in Spanish in the last 30 years, since I have always preferred to tell our truth to the greatest number and English is the lingua franca of today's world.

The fact that my works are available in English has made it possible for them to be translated into other languages, including Hindi. In fact, the Hindi version of my biography of Martí is even available on the internet (which the English version is not). Interest in Martí was awakened in India by the issuance of a postage stamp in his honor on the 150th anniversary of his birth in 2003.

Manuel A.Tellechea said...

fantomas:

I am writing another article about Vilma Espín, or, rather, a counter-article, which shows that she was not a feminist or a proponent of women's rights in any way (nor men's rights for that matter).

The article is also a history of the great Cuban suffragists, the first of whom, Ana Betancourt y Mora, demanded equal rights for women at the Guaimaro Assembly in 1869.

Cuban women were granted the right to vote in 1934 when Vilma Espín was just 4 years old. What exactly did she do to bring that about? Absolutely nothing. Although she did play a central role in denying women and all Cubans the right to vote after 1958.

Fantomas said...

Although she did play a central role in denying women and all Cubans the right to vote after 1958.


palabras con luz....


Gracias Manny

esta bien pero haz mencion del patetico funeral, por favor

Vana said...

Oh my God, how ignorant must a person be, to claim, "I have never read a book in my life" If I had never read a book, I surely would not be telling the world that.
Reading doesn't only enrich your life, it makes you smarter, when I read I'm taken away into the pages of the book, I live in another world, eager to get back to it as soon as I have the time, thanks to reading I have improved my mind, and my life, reading is great! if there were no books to teach us, and enlighten us, our world would be a sad thing indeed, about the brain, Use it or Lose it!