Castro retires

Yeah, I know the title to this post sounds casual, but that’s exactly what happened today. After being at the helm one of the most destructive and insidious dictatorships in the Western Hemisphere for nearly 50 years, Castro bid adieu in a letter to the editor, and secured a transition of power–a victory of sorts in a continent and an era when rulers like Castro generally met less illustrious ends.

There is strong evidence that the new Cuban junta will need to implement some changes, and gradually modernize the country’s government. The new de facto leader, Castro’s brother Raul, has almost conceded the need to reform large parts of the economy. Beyond that, it is practically inconceivable that the new junta–devoid of Castro’s impelling charisma–will be able to continue to rule so effectively without making concession.

Today’s announcement is another reminder of the abject policy failure that is the U.S. embargo against Cuba. As long as Castro ruled, the United States provided a convenient windmill for him to turn into monsters. The embargo never weakened Castro’s government, in fact, it became a rallying cry for misguided, self-destructive leftists in Cuba and the rest of Latin America, and it metastasized Castro’s hold on power.

(I can imagine that today some of the more fanatical proponents of the embargo on Cuba will try to frame today as a victory for their cause, but the assertion would only make sense if you’re willing to believe an economic embargo can cause an intestinal illness.)

Today is a bittersweet experience for Cubans–yeah, I know that’s a cliché. It marks the beginning of the end of 50 years of dictatorship. But it also means that the man who engineered so much suffering–in Cuba, Latin America, and even Africa and Asia–will never see trial.

Magnum presents the other side of karaoke culture.

I know so many people who should read [watch] this video from Slate.com:



From http://www.slate.com/id/2182187

One night and one roll of film. Chien-Chi Chang's photographs of "a night in a karaoke bar" explore a different scene from that which we are used to in Western karaoke establishments.
He evocatively captures the other side of karaoke culture, in which divorced or married Vietnamese women entertain Taiwanese men, portraying what some suggest is a new "concubine phenomenon" emerging from karaoke culture in certain parts of Asia.

David Defeats Goliath, Again!

It seems Starbucks might be in trouble. I think their coffee is overpriced and tasted burnt, but like so many people, I continue to drink it because it is everywhere. And because there is not enough of this going on.

I had no idea Starbucks was in trouble, but as I was searching for a pic to post, I came across this story, too.

I know at least one person that this will directly affect, so for his sake and the sake of his family, I hope Starbucks can keep it together. Hopefully, this is all a wake up call to give better service and to serve better coffee.

Bedding Lolita

Following a previous post on the greatest American [Russian] novelist, I though this was pretty funny. Had these people been living in a cave? Who hasn't heard of the Lolita connotation? Even if it is not through the book, or the movies, or the Police song? Are there no guys working for these people who surf porn? I doubt it.

Gricel sent me the following story, which I quote here in its entirety:

Shop pulls "Lolita" bed for young girls
Fri Feb 01 19:01:27 UTC 2008

LONDON (Reuters) - A chain of retail stores in Britain has withdrawn the sale of beds named Lolita and designed for six-year-old girls after furious parents pointed out that the name was synonymous with sexually active pre-teens.

Woolworths said staff who administer the web site selling the beds were not aware of the connection.

In "Lolita," a 1955 novel by Vladimir Nabokov, the narrator becomes sexually involved with his 12-year-old stepdaughter -- but Woolworths staff had not heard of the classic novel or two subsequent films based on it.

Hence they saw nothing wrong with advertising the Lolita Midsleeper Combi, a whitewashed wooden bed with pull-out desk and cupboard intended for girls aged about six until a concerned mother raised the alarm on a parenting website.

"What seems to have happened is the staff who run the website had never heard of Lolita, and to be honest no one else here had either," a spokesman told British newspapers.

"We had to look it up on (online encyclopedia) Wikipedia. But we certainly know who she is now."

Woolworths said the product had now been dropped.

"Now this has been brought to our attention, the product has been removed from sale with immediate effect," the chain said.

"We will be talking to the supplier with regard to how the branding came about."

(Reporting by Peter Apps, editing by Paul Casciato)