HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY - LOVE IS A POWERFUL EMOTION

I have heard the same argument over and over again year after year - Valentine’s Day is all about commercialism, well, I think that those who subscribe to this argument are sad human beings.  Instead, why don’t they make this argument: Valentine’s Day is a wonderful excuse for people to do something wonderfully special and nice for another. 

Valentine’s Day is just a special day to show that special person how much we love them, or that they are special to us. 

Valentine’s Day doesn’t need to turn into a contest – who gives the biggest or most expensive gift – it should be about giving that special someone what makes them feel special and happy. 

One rose or flowers bought from the guy on the street can mean just as much as a bouquet professionally arranged by a florist – after all, it isn’t about us, it is about them.   When the gift is given with the right sentiment, the receiver won’t be asking you how much it cost, only how much you cared about them or how much they are loved by you because you took the time, and made the effort to get it for them.

We don’t need one day out of the year to show someone that we love them or that they are special to us, Valentine’s Day strips us of our shyness and inhibitions about expressing it. 

We can SHOUT our feelings to the world and the world celebrates with us!

HAPPY VALENTINE’s DAY to my family and all my Facebook friends!

SIMPATIZANTES DEL DICTADOR MUBARAK CONFRONTAN A MANIFESTANTES EN EL CAIRO, EGIPTO

LAS CALLES SON DEL PUEBLO
Autor: Juan Carlos León

El pueblo egipcio le ha dado una lección de valentía al mundo. Cansados de tres décadas de tiranía, abusos y atropellos, esta gente le ha enviado un mensaje bien claro al tirano Hosni Mubarak: “No te queremos como nuestro presidente”. Las imágenes de las protestas en el Cairo son una prueba fehaciente de lo decididos que están los manifestantes a no dar un paso atrás en su anhelo de ser libres.

Pero Mubarak se aferra al poder y se está haciendo el de los oídos sordos a los reclamos de su pueblo. Según él, no se postulará en las elecciones del próximo septiembre, sin embargo, debe continuar en su puesto porque todavía no ha concluido la labor que comenzó pero, aún así, los protestantes quieren que empaque sus maletas ya. Mientras más rápido se vaya mejor, por el bien de todos.

Muchos se preguntan por qué otros pueblos oprimidos no hacen lo mismo. Por ejemplo, en 1994 ocurrió el Maleconazo en Cuba. Alrededor de 30 mil cubanos se botaron para las calles de la Habana gritando abajo Fidel. Este hecho provocó que el gobierno cubano se viera obligado a dejar de cuidar sus fronteras. La mayoría de estas personas terminaron en la Base Naval de Guantánamo por medio de balsas, y luego trasladados a EE.UU. ¿Qué hubiera pasado si estos balseros se hubieran quedado en Cuba?

Hay ocasiones en la vida en que las cosas para que se pongan buenas tienen que ponerse bien malas primero. Algo hay que sacrificar para obtener lo que nos proponemos, aunque no todos estamos dispuestos a correr ciertos riesgos y preferimos emigrar antes de luchar por nuestra patria. Tenemos que reconocer que hemos sido unos cobardes, pero hombres y mujeres como Oscar Elías Biscet, Orlando Zapata Tamayo, las Damas de Blanco, Yoani Sánchez, Guillermo Fariñas y muchos otros más, han demostrado que sí se puede disentir pacíficamente.

Los cubanos llevamos más de medio siglo de dictadura, pero no perdemos la esperanza de ver a nuestro pueblo por todas las calles de la isla reclamando lo que una vez se nos arrebató: nuestra libertad. Las calles son del pueblo trabajador y el ejército debe apoyarnos; los tiranos y dictadores que se vayan bien lejos. Ellos se asustan cuando ven a las multitudes reclamando sus derechos. Sus mentiras tarde o temprano saldrán a la luz y al final no tendrán otra opción que salir corriendo.

Miami, FL., USA
02/03/2011

I HAVE BECOME A "HIGH-TECHY"

I have totally embraced the Internet and Worldwide Web search engines.  I have always considered myself a vanguardist for implementing more efficient use of established processes at work, so when I discovered the various search engines available on the internet, I thought I had died and gone to Heaven.   I found that the answers to my questions and information about whatever subject I desired, were found in a micro-minute.

Pre-Internet, if I wanted or needed to obtain information on a particular subject, I would have to make a trip to my local library branch during their regular working hours and wish and hope that I could quickly find the information I needed – usually the search was slow and tedious, or just not worth the effort.   

Today, I stay home in my leisure apparel and search the internet for any and all information.   I can even go to my library website and search for books in their online catalog and I have the option to reserve them for pick up at a later date; it is awesome.

My searches are not high caliber and I have never, up to now, given a second thought about which search engines I use for my searches.  I simply use Internet Explorer as my browser, type the keyword(s) of the subject matter I want to retrieve and then select from the “hit” list that appears.

What I found is that I can use either Bing or Google; I noticed, though, that I use Bing the most because it is the default search engine on my browser home page.

I could not tell you which is better, Bing or Google because, as I said, I have never given any thought to this process; I just know that I find whatever I am looking for.  I bookmark those sites I use on a regular basis.  There are sites I visit and want to keep handy for future reference such as certain magazines, newspapers and other publications - special sites and resource links I store in my Favorites’ list which allows fast access to sites I visit occasionally or want to keep for future reference.

YouTube has also become a valuable resource to me with endless choices for music and instructional videos to inform me on the latest salsa dance steps, and even how to tile my bathroom – it is invaluable to me. 

I consider myself fortunate to be living and enjoying all this technology which has enriched my life and connects me to people from around the world and I can read about and see the world without leaving my home.  I also feel a great sense of satisfaction that I have embraced and use this new communications technology for my personal edification and enrichment.