h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I'm not used to being left hanging in the wind, as it were.
If anyone leaves it is I. Me. I. Whatever...

The sillies at the common room would like you back. As would I.

I was having alot of fun on our adventure. It's sorta' like not reading the last page of a book!It' just isn't right!

If you come back, I'll roll my eyes for you as often as you like.

Oh, all right then!

I had to take a couple of weeks out for a REAL overseas mission [to a country you wouldn't be allowed to visit or, at least, spend any money in, which amounts to the same thing because the locals expect one to spend money, as if it were going out of fashion].

It was incredible, in the original sense of the word: I've never seen anything quite like it. I'm thinking of having a T-shirt printed with the slogan, "Come back, hated 1950's dictator, all is forgiven", on the front. Perhaps I should have the national flag printed underneath but replace the star with a dollar sign.

If I have time, I might write a guide entry.

Glad you made a safe return!
I've got family there...
I've been alone in unstable Countries & it takes guts! Hope all went well for you. **==

I'm at a disadvantage just now.
My iMac died. I ordered a new 17" flat screen. Nothing to do but wait.

I lost two years of w*rk when mac died. I'm going to 'deal' with my loss by using my old mac for target practice!Wish I had a stinger missle!......
Ahhhh well. My weapons may not be of MASS etc, ...but they'll ensure nobody can ever get the info off my hard drive.

Dec. 9th is my BD... so I won't be around.

Then I'm planning a trip...just whenever I feel like taking off.
The snow hasn't got me too rattled (yet).
Musta' been frozen in a past life or sumthin'. I really, really, REALLY do NOT like Winter.Well, I'd like it if I were someplace else.

Watch your back with regard to what you say in the guide about... where you've been. Unless you want to start a big political debate.
Trust me here Max. Been there done that. It ain't pretty.

As you may have noticed there are many YOUNG people here.
Some kids haven't a clue about the goings on in RL. However, that fact
doesn't stop them from giving a heated opion.You know what opinions are like...
but...I got into quiet a 'go-round' regarding Nam. It wasn't
pretty.
If you do write an entry, let me know. I only read them if something is pointed out.

See you back at the common room?? That's where I'm heading after being in the medics place. Dang duck dropped me off a strectcher a couple times.

Glad your back!

P.S.
If you do the tee-shirt, best wear a vest underneath!

Would that be a bullet-proof vest, to protect me from (so-called) American liberals? [I'm thinking of the "liberal" character in "The President's Analyst".]

I'm not sure where "RL" is but I shouldn't be surprised if you had relatives in the country I visited: one of the locals told me that there are now almost a million exiles in the United States. [I had thought there were only about 250 000.] According to Michael Moore, whose increasing paranoia undermines all the good work he has done, they don't matter because they were "white and wealthy". Well, not all of them were wealthy: the vast majority being middle-income professionals, who lost nearly all of their property. And since when could people chose the colour of their skin? [OK, I know that some very weird pop stars can. Incidentally, if he's tried, will his lawyers object to black jurors or white jurors?]

Sadly, I didn't get to see much of the country but I hope to go back some day. I was thinking that, as the transport systems are so utterly duff, the best way to see the island would be by boat. However, I'm sure the mooring fees would be enormou$$$$. [The film, on the outward flight, was "Pirates of the C_______". On the way back to Paris, I was thinking what an appropriate choice it had been.]

The regime has completely given up on normal economic activity [except in one or two (very specialised) areas] and obviously intends to drain dollar-spending tourists dry instead. Naturally, El C (and the majority of the population) blame American sanctions for all their ills but, while the trade embargo may have been devastating in the early years, I don't see how it's really having much impact, after forty-four years. In fact, the maintenance of the "blockade" is more childish and spiteful than effective or vindictive but- whichever party is in power in Washington- it can be a useful rallying point for American politicians at election time, especially in Florida.

The treatment of the urban middle class (many of whom were actually supporters of reform) was indeed appalling. As far as I can see, the "revolution" was more of a coup d'etat, fuelled by the resentment and jealousy of peasants and led by a group of narrow-minded, parochial nationalists [well, all right, there were one or two "intellectual" terrorists on board], who then had to pretend to be Leninist-Marxists for decades, in order to survive on handouts from the Soviet Union. [Belated congratulations to the Eisenhower and Kennedy Administrations and the CIA for managing the situation so well, by the way.]

While there is no doubt that many injustices existed, the baby was really thrown out with the bath water: was it necessary to destroy so many lives (and drag a beautiful and prosperous country down to the level of a Third-World slum), in order to make life slightly better for the underprivileged. I attribute blame fairly evenly between the United States [at its most vain when dealing with a country, which it considered a bauble or plaything, which no one had the right to take away] and the local authorities, who seemed to delight in winding up folks in DC.

Did anyone consider the merits of the Western European model of welfare state? With the right kind of support, the country could have gone down that road but Uncle Sam didn't care enough: every resource was a resource to be exploited, not one to be cherished.

Sadly, in the minds of many on the island, the capitalist system (or even the gentler concept of a mixed economy) was forever tainted by corruption, decadence, greed and repression. In contrast, the new order came to be associated with land reform, low crime rates and decent health care and education. Some of the country's achievements are laudable but there's not much point in having a fantastic (and free) education system, if taxi drivers and waiters can earn ten times what a top surgeon does. Where is the incentive for anyone to stay on at school?

However, a realistic resolution of the situation will not be found by anyone, who is stuck in a diplomatic or political time warp. The consequences of the revolution (and its aftermath) may have been very unfair but we have to remember that the damage was done almost two generations ago, so there's no point in pretending that the clock can magically be turned back to some early-'Fifties "Golden Age".

Brother did you ever say a mouthful!

Ahhhhh...I feel so much better now...like you put into words what I've felt & not actually said. Bravo!

And yes...I do have family there. He's a reg. army shrink.
I'm a therapist too, by degree. Now I'm writing.

I use to spend so many long hours arguing with people with regard to poitics. Not that I've become apathic...but after slamming my head against a brick wall just on State issues...what's it all for?

You know what? I went to a Congressional Hearing over a very important topic & do you know that the news networks quickly skimmed over the topic & zoomed in on me crying! Headlines:
Woman openly weeps during Congressional Hearing regarding a toxin in a food supplement. The story went on & on about how even men were brought to tears etc.. I shoulda' stayed IN the running to be the first female Prez!
I was being groomed for that.
I don't think the Prez has much of a clue what to do or where to start.
Sorta' like me here. At least HE'D have people to actually carry things out.

I saw a picture from *your* island...this fella' just got himself a new car. There he stood resting against the side of a 56 Chevy.

Do you think a long bridge would be the answer??
I've gotta' put a CD in mac or I'm gonna' get 'Troubled Waters' stuck in my head!~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ninety miles long?

Even if it were possible to construct a bridge, I don't think the INS would be over the Moon about the idea.

The latest series of the BBC comedy-drama "Auf Wiedersehen, Pet" is set there (although it was filmed in the Dominican Republic, which seems to be a bit tidier).

It probably doesn't matter, who runs the place: apparently, the "hello,-my friend,-I-get-you-cheap-cigars" blokies were around long before the Revolution (although maracas featured more heavily, in those days). I don't think I could ever get used to the local, laid-back way of thinking, although I have to say British consular officials seem to be fitting in very well!

Mmm, come to think of it, there must be tens of thousands of bureaucrats in Whitehall, who've been posted to Calle 34, early in their careers!