The Last Word About Ozzie Guillen

The recent article of Halt Weitzman published in the Thursday, April 12 edition of the Chicago Tribune about this debated subject, is to say in the least, is rather tepid. The real truth is that “Blabber mouth” Guillen has fallen once more into his own trap of impromptus opinionated epithets. His suspension for five days was only a gift from the owners of the White sox baseball team. The plea from Mr. Weitzman to reconsider the economic embargo of Cuba is a phrase used by those who ignore the deep and real tragedy of Communism in Cuba under the cruel Castro (both brothers) regime.

We should never forget that, Dictator Castro, in the early 60’s, boisterously proclaimed that he did not need the U.S. to tender financial aid to Cuba and that he was tying Cuba’s future to the then powerful Soviet Union. Cuba, he declared, was a Communist country and did not need to maintain relations with “imperialist” USA. Immediately, he proceeded to expel all Americans from Cuba, including the diplomatic corps, severing all ties with the U.S. and expropriating without compensation all U.S. and Cuban properties, businesses and corporate and personal bank accounts. Cuba was previously a very economically prosperous country in spite of political failures of the past.

We all know what happened to the Soviet empire and the subsidies of billions of dollars a year that they poured into Cuba to maintain a satellite in the western Hemisphere only a few miles from the U.S. When it all disintegrated and the subsidies stopped Castro became an international beggar.

For some time now the Communist regime in Cuba has been imploring for the lifting of the embargo and recruiting “useful fools” to back the Cuban dictatorship on the effort. However, the ruthless tyranny continues to maintain a perverse totalitarian system that enslaves an entire population under a repressive police state.

Misery, human rights abuses, incarceration and a rigid one party system persists in the country with no hope for real change. The changes announced by Raul Castro are nothing but a trap to exploit, tax, and supervise those who had been conducting small businesses and transactions under the table for many years under the constant threat of being caught and getting jail terms. These changes are nothing but a truculent gimmick.

Over two million people have exited the island under the most daring and difficult and perilous circumstances. To lift the embargo all is needed from the Cuban dictatorial system is to re-establish democracy and freedom. The plea of the oppressed Cuban people should be heard, and the excuses of an ignorant dummy like “Ozzie” should not be considered as a renunciation of his stupid and unforgivable statement about his love for the monster Fidel Castro. He had to beg for forgiveness, but truly he deserves to be fired for good from baseball.

Romney’s Potential Running Mate

Now that the primary elections are shaping up with the almost certain nomination of Mitt Romney as the Presidential candidate for the GOP, the rumors and conjectures about his potential pick for the vice presidential spot are beginning to surface.

There are indeed a number of distinguished public figures attracting the attention of the pundits, namely Chris Christie, Paul Ryan, Marco Rubio and Allen West among the most mentioned. They are all formidable candidates. However, the fact that Sarah Palin seems to favor Allen West is a setback rather than a plus for him. Palin continues on her attempt to become relevant at a time when she is completely discredited.

She has demonstrated over and over again to be a disaster, a loose cannon, a quitter and a doubtful conservative in many aspects of her life. The best thing she can do is to become a comedian and stay away from politics. She is damaged merchandise. The potential Republican VP candidates should tell Sarah Palin to stay in Alaska as she was wisely advised sometime ago by former and illustrious First Lady Barbara Bush.

Mitt Romney Under Attack by the Extreme Left and Right

The extreme right has been constantly on the attack against Mitt Romney. They would want to have a Republican candidate oriented toward an extremist position in his pronouncements. This would be tantamount to committing political suicide. It would not fit well in today’s American Society where a large segment of independent voters may well be the deciders in the next presidential election.

Both, the radical left and the radical right can go so far on each opposite pole of the ideological spectrum that they fuse with each other on their destructive cycle.

As truly conservative Republicans, we must be very careful to select a presidential candidate based on integrity, accomplishments, honesty, family values and political philosophy. We cannot afford to be destructive by adopting a fanatical ideological position. The left is bemused by Romney’s humane and balanced stance on the various campaign topics being discussed. Whereas, the extreme right, is attacking Romney, with innuendos and fabrications, for his sensible approach to resolve the serious problems confronting our nation.

There is no question that Romney is a conservative intellectual with prestige and an impressive record of private and public life. He has all the qualities that make him an outstanding citizen. Let us defeat both, the extreme right and the extreme left by supporting and electing Romney as the most qualified person to rescue our country from the hands of those who are gradually destroying our free enterprise system, our economy, our constitutional rights and the fundamental principles upon which our great country was founded.

The Practice of Tattooing May be Dangerous to Your Health

The Practice of Tattooing May be Dangerous to Your Health

By Dr. Rafael R. Pedraja

The painting of tattoos on the human skin has become very popular in the United States during the last few years. It has spread like an epidemic misfortune. Some people, both men and women, receive tattoos on practically their entire body including hands, arms, legs, feet, neck, chest, back, buttocks, face and event the top of the head. They think that it is ‘cool’ or ‘cute’ to have such defacing procedure. Maybe they want to be different or more appealing or attractive. Whatever the reason, I still cannot comprehend it. It has developed into a fancy of major proportions. In my opinion, it is not only retrograde and distasteful but also unhealthy.

The practice of tattooing was originated in ancient Egypt and among early tribal cultures of Oceania. They practiced it as part of their rituals and renditions to their primitive Gods and idols, as well as for tribal membership identification. Later, it was adapted by sailors travelling to the Pacific shores and it became popular and persisted among seamen. Consider that the skin is the largest organ in a person’s body and shall be protected like any other organ. It should not be used as merely a canvas to inscribe all kinds of stupid renditions. A parallel could be made of the practice of smoking. We all know that smoking causes cancer, particularly of the lungs, although it may affect other organs. The carcinogenic effects of smoking have been well documented and submitted to extensive medical research as well as numerous statistical studies. I had many friends and even members of the family that unfortunately died at a relatively young age because of their smoking habits. They all had one thing in common: they refused to accept the facts and advice to quit smoking before it was too late.

Tattooing is similarly bad for the health of individuals, however, I have yet to see a research study or simply an article regarding the danger to one’s health caused by tattoos. Unfortunately, tattooing has spread, particularly among the young population because of ignorance on its detrimental effects.

Tattoo inks contain dangerous and poisonous chemicals. The skin cells gradually absorb the chemicals during a slow process of deeper penetration into the subcutaneous layers of tissues. The skin tissues transfer the chemicals by absorption into the lymphatic system and the blood vessels. Lymph fluid containing the harmful chemicals circulate into the lymphatic vessels and nodules and into the bloodstream which continues to distribute these substances to the various parts of the body, reaching practically every organ, thus creating havoc by the gradual destruction or metastasis of the organ cells, thus causing potentially cancerous tumors.

My question at this point: why is it that the medical and scientific community has not given much thought to this cultural phenomenon? I have to confess that as a scientist I never thought of it before, but seeing the near epidemic use of this insane practice I am bringing it to the forefront with the hope that it will resonate. We all must do our best – government, health protection institutions, the medical and scientific community, and the press to alert the public about the hazardous substances in tattooing ink.

Romney's Position

The critics of Mitt Romney from the left as well as from the extreme right have lost their sense of balance and fairness. During Romney's speech before the recent Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) he was criticized by some of both ends of the political spectrum for using the term "severely conservative" referring to his conservative credentials. The fact is that his grammatic construction and correct use of the term was factually right.

The adjective "severe" according to Webster means intense, disciplined, uncompromising, unyielding, austere, all synonyms with the same relative connotation. He was absolutely correct in his selection of the adverb "severely" to define exactly his political persuasion. Any attempt to deviate or ridicule its meaning is simply an ignorance of the English language on the part of those who try to diminish Romney's magnificent speech before CPAC. No wonder he won the straw poll of those attending the very successful conference of conservative activists.

Facts About The Economic Embargo Against Cuba

There are a number of liberals including some members of Congress as well as leftist pro-Castro groups asking to stop the U.S. economic embargo on the Communist dictatorship. We should never forget that Fidel Castro in the early 60’s boisterously proclaimed that he did not need the U.S. to tender financial aid to Cuba. It was the intention of the U.S. to help Cuba as necessary during those difficult times. Castro rejected the offer and openly declared that he was tying Cuba’s future to the then powerful Soviet Union.

He announced to the world that Cuba was a Communist country and did not need to maintain relations with the “Yankee Imperialism.” Immediately he proceeded to expel all Americans from Cuba including the diplomatic corps, severing all ties with the U.S.

He expropriated without compensation all U.S. businesses, properties and bank accounts. The private property take over included also all Cuban’s enterprises and properties no matter their size. He established in a very short time a sweeping and complete totalitarian system similar to that existing in the Soviet Union. Cuba became a slave country under total government control and a rigid military autocracy.

We all know what happened to the Soviet empire. It collapsed on its own weight in 1991. The welcome and historical event devastated the Castro satrapy. The subsidies of billions of dollars a year the Soviets poured into Cuba to maintain a satellite serving as a sophisticated military base in the Western Hemisphere only 90 miles from American soil abruptly stopped. Communism disintegrated in the Soviet Union and their Eastern Europe satellites like sand castles blown away by the winds of liberty. Castro then became an international beggard, asking for help mostly from the Western European nations and China.

For some time the tyrannical reign in Cuba (now under his equally brutal brother Raul) has been imploring for the lifting of the embargo, while recruiting “useful idiots” to back Castro-Communism on this shameful effort. However, the totalitarian Castro regime continues to maintain a perverse system that enslaves an entire population under a repressive and barbarian police state. Following the advent of the Marxist-Leninist system in Cuba he executed thousands of his own revolutionary troops who had turned against him. A myriad of civilian dissidents have been either executed or imprisoned in miserable filthy jails for indefinite time by Kangaroo courts. There is no civil justice system in Cuba. Only recently a political prisoner, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, imprisoned since 2003, died after a hunger strike. His initial sentence was for three years and they extended it to 25 years because he refused to bend on his political beliefs against Communism. This is one of many similar cases which have occurred under the despotic rule of the Castro brothers. Amnesty International declared Zapata Tamayo as a “prisoner of conscience” in 2003.

Hardships, human rights abuses, incarceration and a rigid one-party system (the Communist Party) persists in the country with no hope for real change. You have to consider that over 2 million people have exited the island under the most difficult, unimaginable and perilous circumstances and they continue to do so up to the present time. Meanwhile don’t let the Castro satrapy and their misled defenders fool you.

Lately, the press has published news and editorials indicating that the Communist dictatorship has relaxed some of its rules, however, these are only cruel gimmicks to show the world that they are softening their tight grip on the desperate population. The truth is that the Communist system has been a total failure and they are attempting to mask it by adopting new twists to make it appear as a signal of change. They desperately need hard currency from the U.S. while keeping the same old failed system in place.

To lift the embargo all that is needed from the totalitarian regime is to re-establish democracy, freedom, human rights and free elections under a multi-party system. The plight of the oppressed Cuban people should be heard and the international community shall act accordingly.

The entire history of the Cuban tragedy under Castro-Communism is detailed in my book – Fidel Castro: The Rape of a Nation. (see side-bar for information)

Castro’s Tactics

The so-called softening of the rigid dictatorship to allow certain small businesses to be run privately by individuals is only a deceptive scheme to control the ever growing “underground” entrepreneurs in Cuba. Cubans are very inventive, they always have been. It seems that the satrapy of the Castro brothers did not affect – to a great extent – the natural instinct of many Cubans to be creative even under the most difficult circumstances.

I should explain that after the Communist regime eliminated all private enterprises, from the very large to the smallest one, many Cubans began to think of a way to become independent of government control even at the expense of their lives. They began to create clandestine, small businesses with a lot of care and discretion, risking to practice their professions and skills below the government radar.

The regime alerted by neighborhood switches took action and some self-made entrepreneurs were caught and given jail time. However in spite of all the inconveniences and urged by the necessity to sustain themselves many continued to take the risk. It was practically impossible for the government dogs to keep pace with the surreptitious activities. There were the many dispersed around the entire country. The government was also running out of space in their ominous and filthy jails. The small undercover businesses continued to grow as the economy of the country went from bad to worse.

We know that among the many concealed activities were shoe repairs, manicurists, barbers, appliances and car repairs, eateries (in-home), animal grooming, taxi drivers, dolls and toy repairs, music teaching, sale of medicinal herbs and flowers and many others. Even doctors and dentists practiced their skills secretly.

The rigid Communist rule was not getting any income or advantage from the widespread entrepreneurial activities. The regime finally realized that it was better to “legalize” all the small businesses and obtain a revenue through a contribution or taxation system. Additionally, allowing the small businesses to operate in the open was going to make it appear that the regime was relaxing its tight control over the population. What it really does is to make small entrepreneurs practically employees of the government. They would be regulated and closely observed.

It should be mentioned that taxes under the Communist system did not exist and were not needed. Under the slaved labor system existing in Cuba, the salaries are very small and the workers indirectly pay dearly for whatever meager benefits they receive, ie. children’s education, health care, etc. That is why the so-called “free” education and precarious health care they receive are all a shameful fallacy. In contrast, well equipped hospitals are reserved for the high ranking military elite and the privileged top level civilian members of the regime. In fact, the underground entrepreneurs, now free to surface and become “legal” will be the losers. The dictatorship becomes the winner expanding its surveillance to the segment that wa previously undercover and additionally getting an income.

The Communist government is calling this sinister trap “an economic reform package,” pretending is opening up the failed Communist model implanted by brutal force in Cuba.

The entire history of the Cuban tragedy under Castro-Communism is detailed in my book. (see sidebar for information.)