Cachita by any other name smells as sweet..

I remember the first bedtime story I ever heard. I remember who told it. It was Mima Fela, my dad's stepmom, but she loved me like a "real" grandmother, probably more so, because her two children from her first marriage never gave her grandkids. She told me the story of La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, or Our Lady of Charity, the patroness of Cuba. In her version, one of the three Juanes was called "Danielito". A good storyteller knows how not to spoil a tale with facts. I figure anyone reading my blog is probably family and knows the story, but just in case, here is a quikie, wikipedia version:

The story behind the La Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre, began around 1608(sometime between 1604 and 1612 depending on the source). Two brothers, Rodrigo and Juan de Hoyos, and their slave, Juan Moreno, set out to the Bay of Nipe for salt. They are traditionally called the "three Juans". They needed the salt for the preservation the meat at the Barajagua slaughter house, which supplied the workers and inhabitants of Santiago del Prado, now known as El Cobre. While out in the bay, a storm arose, rocking their tiny boat violently with ongoing waves. Juan, the slave, was wearing a medal with the image of the Virgin Mary. The three men began to pray for her protection. Suddenly, the skies cleared, and the storm was gone. In the distance, they saw a strange object floating in the water. They rowed towards it as the waves brought it towards them. At first they mistook it for a bird, but quickly saw that it was what seemed to be a statue of a girl. At last they were able to determine that it was a statue of the Virgin Mary holding the child Jesus on her right arm and holding a gold cross in her left hand. The statue was fastened to a board with an inscription saying "Yo Soy la Virgen de la Caridad" or "I am the Virgin of Charity." The statue was dressed with real cloth and the Virgin had real hair and skin of a mixed woman. Much to their surprise, the statue remained completely dry while afloat in the water.

That is just the story of the apparition.

Let me tell you another story, about the patroness of Brazil, Our Lady of Aparecida, or as she is known here, Nossa Senhora Aparecida. Stop me if the story sounds familiar: (again, a quickie wikipedia version)

The official account of the Aparecida apparition took place in October 1717, when Dom Pedro de Almeida, Count of Assumar and Governor of the Province of São Paulo and Minas Gerais, was passing through the area of Guaratinguetá, a small city in the Paraíba river valley,^[1][4] during a trip to Vila Rica, an important gold mining site.

The people of Guaratinguetá decided to hold a feast in his honour, and though it was not fishing season, the fishermen went down to the Paraíba waters to fish for the feast.^[1][4] Three of the fishermen, Domingos Garcia, João Alves, and Filipe Pedroso, prayed to Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception, and asked God's help.^[1][4] They were unable to catch any fish, and after several hours in the river, they were ready to give up when João cast his net once more near the Port of Itaguaçu.^[1][4] Instead of fish, he hauled in the body of a statue with a missing head.^[1][4] They cast their net again, and brought up the statue's head.^[1][4] After cleaning the statue, they found that it was a black version of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception.^[1] Legend has it that when the fishermen recovered the body, then the head, the slender figure of the Aparecida Virgin became so heavy that they couldn't budge it.^[2]

After that, according to the official account, they named their find Nossa Senhora da Aparecida Conceição (English: Our Lady of the Appeared Conception), wrapped it in cloth and continued to fish; now their catch was so great that they returned to port because the weight of the fish threatened to sink their craft.^[5] This was the first miracle attributed to Our Lady of Aparecida.

A bit similar to the first story right? Also a bit similar with the "black" virgin, La Virgen de la Regla.

There is more....

Look again carefully at the image on the left, and Cubans reading the blog, tell me who it is...

See where it says NS Navegantes? It is Our Lady of Navigators. The image is identical to the one Cubans use for La Virgen de la Caridad! Same aparition, different name. For some reason, even though the story says it was three boys, the image has changed over the years to show a somewhat older dude in the boat. Don't know how or why. Anyways, I always thought it intersting how the stories were similar in the case of the patroness and how the same image was known by a different name.

BTW, yes, yes, I know and understand, there is only ONE Virgin Mary and all are the same, just different manifestations and apparitions of the same person.

My name is René Rouco Machin.. Oh, it is very easy to understand, I want to be a human being

I found a blog called The Voice of El Morro. It is one of several Cuban bloggers who are on the web now. From what I gather, he presents several people, their livesm their stories. here is one of them:

My name is René Rouco Machin, born on July 30, 1969. My parents left Cuba, they live over there in Arizona. I have children, I have a wife, I live here at number 88A Star Street, between Yumurí and Pinar del Rio, Parraga, Havana, Cuba. Come, I invite you, I would like to introduce my family.

On September 8, 1994, just around noon, I left on a raft from the East of Havana, from Guanabo beach, and after three days of poor navigation, when we thought we would die, a helicopter picked us up on the high seas and took us to a giant ship that looked like a city. It took us to Guantanamo Naval Base where we spent a few months. There I passed the lie detector test. Some people say false names and things, not me, I lay down and they attached some cables to me; but nothing more, I didn’t lie. They never tortured us or beat us, but what they did give us was some loaves of bread that were so enormous that I couldn’t eat the whole of them and I tried to hide them because of the habit of hoarding and because I was so sorry to throw away food so rich. But the Americans, they didn’t like that, they said that the food could spoil. You can clearly see they don’t understand the hunger my family suffered in Cuba.

At the end of that year, they sent me to Panama in a Boeing 227. That I remember well, it was the first time I had been in a plane, which was impressive. On arriving in Panama, they took us to the military base of Chiriqui, very near the famous Canal, where they assigned us to different apartments. I ended up in number 4 which was sponsored by Celia Cruz and Willy Chirino who helped us with clothes, shoes, toiletries, etc.. From that time, I hold a very beautiful picture and memory. Breakfast was given to us by a short Cuban who said he owned the store “The Machetazo” (“The Great Machete”). Awesome name, pal, and tremendous solidarity. And, if you let me, today I would like to thank everyone who helped us without a second thought, especially the daughter of Willy Chirino and Celia Cruz, whom I have always in my heart.

After a year and a day of being on that base in Panama, they gave us American residency for being under U.S. patronage. Days later, they told us that those who would voluntarily return to Havana would have no problems, the government would not retaliate against us, and that, when we went to the American Embassy in Havana, they would give us political asylum and we could leave Cuba without any problems.

My son was then a year old, I missed him, I was 23. So I did not think about it and, of over 32 thousand Cubans on U.S. bases who had left on a raft, I was one of the 756 who voluntarily returned. But arriving at Jose Marti airport, they took us directly to Combinado prison. I was released after 20 days, yes; but from that day I have not been left alone. I want to leave this country so that no one reports me to a police station, that they don’t hit me or imprison me for the sole reason of being black, or ugly. I want to live and smile like everyone else, to work, to make love to my wife without having to be ashamed of not having a penny, I want to take my family to eat at a restaurant, I want to say freely what I think without fear of being wrong or of not being right. I want … Oh, it is easy to understand, I want to be a human being.

Letter from Cuba

This "joke email" is making the rounds in Brazil. I translated it and posted it. It would be funnier if it wasn't so realistic. At least some here get the irony..


All the family in Cuba was surprised when a coffin arrived from Miami with the corpse of a beloved aunt. The body was so tight in the coffin that her face was pasted on the crystal display ... When they opened the coffin they found a letter stuck to the clothes with a pin, which read:


'Dear Mom and Dad:

I am sending you the remains of Aunt Josefa to do her burial in Cuba, as she wanted. Sorry for not being able to accompany her, but you will understand that I had spend so much on all the things, and take advantage of the circumstances.

You will find inside the coffin, under the body, the following:

9 cans of Bumble Bee tuna,
10 8oz bottles of shampoo and conditioner Paul Mitchell
12 jars of Vaseline Intensive Care (very good for the skin. It is not for cooking!)
12 tubes of Crest toothpaste,
12 toothbrushes,
10 cans of good SPAM (they are from Spain)
4 cans of sausage El Miño.

Share with the family, no fights!

On her feet are a pair of new Reebok shoes size 39 for Joseíto (it's for him, remember when Uncle Pupo died he didn’t receive anything and cried for weeks).

Under the head there are 4 pairs of new socks for c Antony’s children of, they are of different colors (please, I repeat, no fighting!). She is wearing 15 sweaters Ralph Lauren, one is for Robby and the other for the children and grandchildren.

She also uses a dozen Wonder Bra’s (my favorite), divide among women;

Also there 20 Revlon nail polish removers that are in the corners of the coffin. The three dozen panties Victoria's Secret should be distributed among my nieces and cousins.

Our dear aunt is also dressed with nine Docker's pants and 3 pair’s of Levi jeans. Dad, stay with one of each and the others are for boys. The Swiss watch Dad asked me for is on the left wrist. She is also using the jewelry mom asked (bracelets, rings, etc.).

The collar she is using is for cousin Rebecca, and also the rings that she has on her feet. The eight pairs of Chanel stockings that she wears are to be shared between the neighbors and friends, or if you want, sell it (please do not fight for these things, do not fight).

The dentures put in auntie's mouth are for Grandpa, who even though does not have much to chew, with these it will be easier (they were very expensive).

The bifocals are for Alfredito because they are the same prescription he uses, and also the hat on her head. The hearing aids she has the ears are for Carola. They are not exactly what she needs, but use them anyway because they are expensive.

Auntie's eyes are not her own, they are made of glass. Take them out and you will find the gold chain for Gustavo and a diamond ring for Katiuska’s wedding.

The platinum wig, with golden reflections, which she is wearing is also for Katiuska, which will shine, beautifully on her wedding day.

With love, your daughter

Carmencita.

PS1: Please, make an outfit to wear her aunt's funeral and hold a Mass for the repose of her soul, because she really helped even after her death. As you noticed the coffin is made of good wood (resists termites) you can take it apart and fix the feet of Mama's bed and other home repairs.

The glass coffin serves to frame abuelita’s photograph that years ago needed replacing. With the lining of the coffin, which is white satin (U.S. $ 20.99 a meter) Katiuska can make her wedding dress.

In the joy of these gifts, do not forget to dress to her for funeral!

With love,

Carmencita ..

PS2: With the death of Aunt Josepha, Aunt Blanca fell ill. Make requests in moderation. A bicycle will not fit or neither will 1968 Lada carburetor, nobody’s even heard of that here.

This Will Never Get Old

I dunno whether to laugh, cry, or scratch my head...

I dunno whether to laugh, cry, or scratch my head...

Obama and Lula are most popular presidents in Latin America

According to LatinBarometer 2009, an annual poll that measures the preferences of Latin Americans, Barack Obama, U.S president, and Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, president of Brazil, are the most respected presidents in the region. Colombian president Alvaro Uribe is in the middle of the list, while Hugo Chavez, from Venezuela, and Fidel Castro, Cuban leader, garnered the least support, making them the most disliked figures in the region. The poll includes more than 2000 interviews in 18 countries throughout the region.

Black Sheep Of Cuban Exile: El Hebreo

Via Review of Cuban American Blogs I found a very interesting post about Jews in Cuba, one transplanted Cuban Jew in particular. Black Sheep of Cuban Exile writes about his relationship with Chaim, and how he saw Castro for what he was, even in the early days. The post is old, but its words still hold meaning.

5 Cuban Soccer Players "Missing"

This is when I do my "happy dance".

Five Members Of Cuban U-23 Team Missing From Hotel

TAMPA, Fla. -- Five members of the Cuban Under 23 national soccer team left their hotel Tuesday night and are unaccounted for, raising the possibility they may be trying to defect.The players were discovered to have left the team hotel hours after earning a 1-1 draw with the United States in the Pre-Olympic tournament.

"Jose Manuel Miranda, Erlys Garcia Baro, Yenier Bermudez, Yordany Alvarez and Loanni Prieto left the hotel", Raul Gonzalez, coach of the Cuban national team, told ESPN reporter Fernando Palomo.

Miranda started at goalkeeper and Bermudez captained the team on Tuesday night, when Cuba was able to hold on for a surprise draw in Group A action.

Together with Mexico, the U.S. starts the tournament as a favorite to win one of the two berths for the Beijing games in August.

Freddy Adu scored for the U.S. after 14 minutes, but Roberto Linares equalized shortly before halftime. The Cubans then were able to hold on for a draw despite ending the match with 10 men, as Linares was sent off with a red card in the 82nd minute.

"Cuba has plans to keep playing in this tournament and we don't want to forfeit our next two matches," said Gonzalez.

If the five players do not return, Cuba would be left with a 13-man squad, but only 12 would be available to play their next match, as Linares is automatically suspended one game for the red card.

Cuba is scheduled to face Honduras on Thursday, at 5.30 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa.

CONCACAF officials were to meet with the Cuban delegation later on Wednesday to discuss the situation and they could ask Cuba to forfeit the tournament. Cuba was scheduled to train at 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

Gonzalez also confirmed that there was no security plan in place around the Cuban team to avoid defections. The team was staying at the Doubletree Hotel Tampa Westshore Airport.

Venezuela: History Tends To Repeat Itself, Or I Hate To Say It, But I told You So

When Hugo Chavez first came into power I remember hearing a joke. The joke is not particularly funny, but it says a lot about what most people, mostly Cuban Americans, thought at the time. The joke goes like this: Two Venezuelan businessmen are discussing Chavez's rise to power. They are discussing the future of their respective businesses and one says to another "I am considering moving all my operations to Cuba." "Cuba!?! Why in the world would you do that?" says the second. "Because Communism is ending there, but it is just beginning here."

It has been quite sometime since I first heard that joke. Communism is still going strong in Cuba, Raul taking the helm notwithstanding. However, the sharp turn left (south?) for Venezuela continues. Isben Martinez writes the following in the Library if Economics and Liberty:

I live in a Latin American neo-populist petrocracy.

For the last decade, my government's economic officials have pledged themselves to the "comprehensive, humanist, endogenous and socialist development of the nation", whatever that means.

Perhaps that gobbledygook just means that in Venezuela it is much easier to fetch a bottle of premium Scotch whisky at any low-income neighborhood's supermarket than a bottle of milk, a pound of sugar or a dozen of eggs. Paradoxically, the local branch of Audi set an all-time Latin American sales record during 2007 by catching a 22% share of the region's luxury cars market.

He goes on to say:

Consider breakfast. My breakfast, to be exact. It's been months since I have had an oatmeal breakfast or a nice cup of espresso with a drop of milk because coffee and milk has literally vanished from supermarkets' shelves since last November. And that includes "Mercal", the government's supermarket network where the poor are supposed to buy food at subsidized low prices

The reason? Stiff price controls, of course, and fixed currency rates that have been going on for 5 years, too.

Be sure to read the full article.

Brent Bozell Sticks It To The MSM On Castro

Brent Bozell says it better than I could, and without resorting to obscenity and name calling either!!

Castro: Not a President

"Fidel Castro Resigns." That's a fantastic headline, and should be cause for celebration. But just because the doddering dictator is stepping aside doesn't mean that Cuba's abandoning tyranny. And just because he's leaving doesn't mean the media are dropping their fictions about Castro, the Cuban "president." Glancing at a TV set, I caught this CNN screen graphic: "Fidel Castro Resigns: Cuban Pres. Rejects New Term." Where on Earth is the media's regard for accuracy?

A "new term"? This murderous despot has only had one long, abusive term, and it's lasted 49 years. Anyone who says otherwise, that the Cuban "parliament" would be setting another "election," is not just a useful idiot. He's simply an idiot.

AP reporter Anita Snow suggested using the word "dictator" to describe Castro is tantamount to mudslinging. While "Castro's supporters admired his ability to provide a high level of health care and education for citizens," his "detractors called him a dictator." The American media was absolutely allergic to words like "dictator." Rudy Giuliani can be routinely attacked by liberal reporters as "despotic," "authoritarian" and "totalitarian," but Fidel Castro is just a "president" or a "Cuban leader."

For decades, this has been an easy display of the media's foreign affections. Every right-wing dictator, like Chile's Pinochet, is a "dictator," while every left-wing dictator is merely a "leader" or, in Castro's case, a "dashing revolutionary" and a "rock star." That was ABC's Diane Sawyer on the morning of Castro's abdication announcement.

It was nauseating to watch ABC's Robin Roberts assert that so-called "Cuban President" Castro was stepping down, and then see reporter Jeffrey Kofman suggest that the "so-called" sneer should be leveled against his opponents! "The fervently anti-Castro community of so-called Cuban exiles here in Miami erupted in celebration" when Castro grew ill in 2006.

Cubans living in Miami are "so-called exiles"? They traveled on "so-called" boats, risking "so-called" death at the hands of a regime that promised to "so-called" kill them if they were caught escaping, too.

Kofman added insult to injury by dragging out the ancient trope that Castro outlasted our pathetic presidents and their bungling attempts to damage him: "The world's longest-serving political leader is leaving on his own terms, having survived efforts by 10 different U.S. presidents to bring him down, including a disastrous CIA-backed invasion in 1961 and a missile crisis that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war in 1962." Everything wrong with Cuba-U.S. relations is the fault of American presidents.

How, to a media that would claim to favor democracy as a political ideal, is it a virtue to "outlast" freely elected presidents who have submitted their office to the people by killing or imprisoning all your political opponents?

Throughout Castro's long history of dominating Cuba, he has also dominated the American media, who have covered him with a sickening parade of ardor and accolades, even after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Consider these morally bankrupt valentines:

1. Barbara Walters on ABC in 2002: "For Castro, freedom starts with education. And if literacy alone were the yardstick, Cuba would rank as one of the freest nations on Earth."

2. Dan Rather on CBS feeling all warm after Elian Gonzalez was ripped away from those "so-called Cuban exiles" in 2000: "There is no question that Castro feels a very deep and abiding connection to those Cubans who are still in Cuba."

3. Katie Couric applauding communist achievements on NBC in 1992: "Considered one of the most charismatic leaders of the 20th century. … Castro traveled the country cultivating his image, and his revolution delivered. Campaigns stamped out illiteracy and even today, Cuba has one of the lowest infant mortality rates in the world."

4. Peter Jennings on ABC in 1989: "Castro has delivered the most to those who had the least, and for much of the Third World, Cuba is actually a model of development."

5. Even sportscasters darkened their reputations. In a 1991 special covering the Pan Am Games, ABC's Jim McKay could have been speaking for the media in 2008: "You have brought a new system of government, obviously, to Cuba, but the Cuban people do think of you, I think, as their father. One day, you're going to retire. Or, one day, all of us die. Won't there be a great vacuum there? Won't there be something that will be difficult to fill? Can they do it on their own?"

Castro has announced his retirement. I'm happy he'll be gone, and hope he'll spend his final days on Earth contemplating his eternity in hell.

L. Brent Bozell III is the president of the Media Research Center. To find out more about Brent Bozell III, and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

On Fidel "Stepping Down"

Quite a bit on the web and news about Fidel "retiring". In this post here I have links to a few articles I found via my Google Reader. For Cuba related news, you can find plenty at Babalu Blog and Review of Cuban American Blogs. I may not always agree with the positions and views they take, but there is news and conversation a plenty there. Two more articles/ posts I want to call attention to is this one, from The Economist, and this one, at Marginal Revolution. What does this mean for Cuba? Probably nothing. At least not now. Raul is in charge. There is still a dictatorship in place. There are political prisoners and no civil liberties. Until that changes, same shit different smell.

Assortment Of Links and Articles

Here is a collection of stuff that popped up on my "Google Reader" rss feed thingamajigger:

From The New York Post:

Cuba Libre, Someday

Fidel Steps down

A hero's welcome for Dubya

From The New York Sun:

Farewell to Fidel

On Cuba Policy, Copy Poppy

From Fidel, a farewell or a fraud?

From The Washington Times:

Castro, Cuba, and the future

Economic Duldrums

From Little Green Footballs:

Castro Bails

From Google Blogoscoped:

Really interesting post about lost and found on Google. Searches people have typed looking for, or saying they have found certain items:

Google's Lost and Found

Outoe of the Day

Luis Garcia of Child of the Revolution has the best quote I have read so far this year:

"Here, if you see someone wearing an American flag, they're probably Cuban. If they wear Che Guevara, they're probably a tourist."

Havana-based blogger Yoani Sánchez, quoted in this feature story published on Sunday by The Observer, in London."

Since I shamelessly copied his post, please be sure to visit his site, and check out his book.

Lula To Visit Cuba, Wants To Meet With Fidel

Brazilian President Lula will be visiting Cuba next week and hopes to meet with his good friend Fidel. Fidel and Lula are old friends. It is not mentioned in the articles, but I am pretty sure while Lula was exiled from Brasil he spent time in Cuba. Many in Lula's inner circle surely did. His former Chief of Staff, who resigned in one of the many scandals here, Jose Dirceu, "trained" as a "revolutionary" during the late 60's and early 70's. There is no denying Lula is leftist. But to his credit, he did not take Brasil on a sharp left turn as many expected. Before Morales and Chavez and Bachilet, there was Lula. When he took office many feared the worst. Now, perhaps because of his election, and the fact that he wasn't as bad as many thought, fears eased up a bit and that led to the elections in other countries. The Brasilian economy is strong, stronger than it has been in recent memory anyways, and the business sector has not had its worst fears realized. Lula however, is red as red can be, and his friendship with Fidel is all I need to know about him. A few years back there was even a scandal that Cuba donated dollars to Lula's re-election campaign and his party, the PT, Partido Trabalhadores, the Workers party. (There are hundreds of political parites here, an alphabet soup, all known by initials). Anyways, Lula is visiting Cuba and wants to meet with his old buddy Fidel. Anyones guess if this actually happens. Lula has "bought" into the Fidel myth and doesn't realize Fidel has no friends. There was even a huge split in his party because Lula refused to denounce Human Rights abuses in Cuba. The purpose of the visit is to say goodbye to friend before he dies, I mean make some business deals. More here and here.

Lox and Black Beans

Well I stand corrected. Last week I wrote a post about my mom and the emails she sends. I was wrong, I apologize, and will address it shortly. Right now I would like to thank her for forwarding a link to the following article, about a photo exhibit regarding Cuban Jews called "Lox with Black Beans".

In Lox with Black Beans, some well-known Cuban Jews are featured in striking portraits: Painter Baruj Salinas in his studio; George Feldenkreis, chairman and CEO of Perry Ellis International, at his beach estate; television personality Mauricio Zeilic at work.

Read the whole article here.

It's the smugglers, stupid.

See, it's not that I agree, or disagree with Cuban Americans financing the illegal smuggling of their relatives off the island. You could defend it with a stretch of "is it wrong to steal a loaf of bread to feed your starving family". And it's not that I want to argue that wet foot/dry foot policy is faulty and rewards illegal immigration. I can defend that with "Was the Underground Railroad morally right?". What gets me is the blame is not put on Cuba, and its policies of oppression. Former local TV journalist Mark Potter, who knows better from the time he spent in South Florida tells the tale here.

Ol' Blue Eyes Is Back

Major hat tip to Luis Garcia of "Child of the Revolution" for this piece, which I must pass on for my queirda aunt Alina. Luis also has an excellent book by the same name which I recommend. It seems Frank is back, and he's making nightly performances at the Hotel Nacional. In typical Sinatra fashion, he was at the mini bar tossing back a few. Guess the flask of Jack Daniel's he had was dry. No mention if he had his pack of Camel's. (If you believe in rumors, he was buried with pack of Camel's, a Zippo lighter, a roll of dimes, and a flask of Jack Daniel's). According to the report, Jude Law was staying in one of the luxury suites where Sinatra once stayed. Law “sampled lots of the hotel’s rum cocktails to celebrate his birthday so he thought it was just a drunken vision”, according to a "source" at the hotel.

January 1, 1959, el proximo año...

If you have to ask why that date is in the title, you probably will never understand. That is the day Fidel Castro and his band of merry men rolled into Havana. Since that day, the island of Cuba, and to an extent the world, has been under his power and spell in a way that boggles the mind. I don't want to argue the causes, I don't want to argue who is to blame and what could have been done, or what needs to be done, or who is to blame. The subject has been covered, and will be covered around the world, on other blogs, and for now, this is not the time or the place.

Every New Years Eve Cubans every where lift their glasses and say "el proximo año en Cuba", just like they did on Noche Buena, just like they did last year, and the one before that, and the one before that, and the one before that, every year, since 1960. Every year, someone says "THIS, is the last one, I can feel it..". Sadly, it keeps getting put off until the next year, and that one is again christened the "last" one. So will this one, be the last one? I don't have a crystal ball, and neither do you. Every year the news of Castro's health is worse and worse and the man just keeps on ticking like a freakin' Timex. Every year thousands of families lose a loved one whose only wish in life was to out live Fidel.

So, what's my point? Well, go ahead, enjoy the time with your family and friends, lift your glasses, and we will all say, or at the very least think, "el proximo año...". We will get it right at some point. He can't live forever. (He can't guys, lets face it.)