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Category: Juan Carlos Fernandez
Ricardo Fernandez: "Freedom is Respect" / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Ricardo Fernandez Izaguirre. (14ymedio)
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Pinar del Rio, 27 March 2016 – He moves his fingers at full speed over the screen of his phone without ceasing to talk. The modern gadget keeps him in touch with the most important part of his life: friends, other members of his evangelical congregation, and the subscribers to an electronic weekly he publishes from his own home. Ricardo Fernandez Izaguirre took advantage of the inauguration of Nauta's email service to create an informative publication with a Christian outlook. He talks about the achievements and difficulties of this project with 14ymedio.
Juan Carlos Fernandez. You were born in Camaguey but now live in Pinar del Rio and you are the editor of the digital weekly Fire and Dynamics. How did this publication come about and what is its profile?
Ricardo Fernández Izaguirre. The idea of publishing the weekly came up two years ago and was born when the Empresa de Telecomunicaciones de Cuba (ETECSA) announced email service from mobile phones. In a first step I tried to promote this practice in all the Cuban churches. However, this proposal failed because of many denominations' fear of government reprisals. continue reading
I decided to undertake the project on my own and in August of last year the digital weekly Fire and Dynamics was born. It is a Christian themed newspaper whose goal is to reach Cubans living on the island and supply the need for information that we all suffer from. We show the facts objectively but through a Biblical lens. All you need to do to subscribe is to send an email to maifd.revistadigital@nauta.cu
JCF. Have you suffered any kind of censorship for publishing this weekly?
RFI. Yes, I was working as a pastor for Bethel Pentecostal Church, on a mission in the municipality of San Luis. Last December, the pastor of the Pinar del Río region urged me, in front of the leaders of the capital municipality, to abandon the project. Faced with my refusal, the assembled leaders voted to expel me from the leadership.
It was something I saw coming, because of the fear that many people feel when they do something that could be interpreted as a confrontation with the State or supportive of any renegade expression. Although the weekly is not explicitly political, it addresses those issues directly and openly.
JCF. Working as an editor at this publication, directed by Pastor Bernardo de Quesada, have you realized a long-standing professional dream?
RFI. I studied for a while for a degree in social communication, because I dreamed of becoming a journalist, but the college used the old trick of pressuring me to renounce that. In the end, I've managed to do what I like.
JCF. The fears of any independent publication, that keep officialdom up at night, seem to be centered in this case in the suspicions towards the Apostolic Church of which you are a part. Does the church continue to not be legally recognized?
RFI. We do not have the option to legalize our Church, first because they are not about to pass a law of association and religion; and also because we do not go along with the way that other churches, which are part of the Council of Churches of Cuba, are subject to manipulation in exchange for some "privileges" which should be rights for everyone.
JCF. Yet, the Cuban authorities claim that the country has religious freedom. Is that so?
RFI. According to the Cuban constitution the State is declared separate from the Church and there is no favoritism, but in reality they are trying to crush any voice that cries out for freedom and doesn't submit to their designs. Freedom is respect.
Author 14ymedioPosted on March 27, 2016 March 27, 2016 Categories 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
An Hour and a Half with Big Brother / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Juan Carlos Fernandez
14ymedio, 18 February 2016 – For an hour and a half this Wednesday I received a barrage of threats from State Security in Pinar del Rio. Like a scene out of George Orwell, four agents devoted themselves to warning me that I could be prosecuted for the crime described in Law 62 of the Penal Code, which refers to "professional intrusion." My work as a journalist could send me to jail, promised these jealous keepers of the occupational limits of every Cuban.
In a chair bolted to the floor in a small room, I listened to the hackneyed intimidation that my work equipment would be confiscated the next time they saw me on the street "reporting something." The agents said that both of the information projects I participate in are illegal: the daily 14ymedio, and the magazine Convivencia (Coexistence). I didn't take advantage of the opportunity to suggest to them that they allow freedom of the press and thus end the problem.
Not to mention, of course, the record of the police warning I refused to sign. However, when I left there and later hugged my wife and a friend who were waiting for me outside, I realized that I had no resentment against the threatening agents, rather they inspired pity in me.
I got home, laid down for a minute on the living room couch to gather my strength, and from the kitchen my wife shouted, "Juan! We're out of eggs, we have to find something to eat tonight!" The reality that State Security could not deny, once again was knocking on my door.
Author 14ymedioPosted on February 20, 2016 Categories 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Tobacco In Cuba, Between Pests And Mud / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Justo García Hernández working in his tobacco field. (14ymedio)
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Pinar del Rio, 9 February 2016 – The sun has barely risen and boots are sinking into land that is pure mud. In the furrows, a group of men is trying to revive the planted tobacco, but nature is working against them. Hundreds of producers in Pinar del Rio are struggling against the rain and the pests to save a tobacco crop which promises to be among the lowest in decades.
Prior to 20 January, 42,000 acres of land were planted throughout the province of Pinar del Rio, but only some 34,000 have managed to survive, and of these, some 5,000 are seriously affected. The excess moisture has also encouraged the emergence of the dreaded blue mold disease that devastates the crop. continue reading
A descendant from immigrants who came from the Canary Islands, Justo Garcia Hernandez hasn't quit working, even at 73. He moves between the plantations and the tobacco house where the women of the family are busy hanging the leaves. In the five acres this farmer has leased under usufruct, he experiences the failed harvest with special intensity.
This year "the climate is a disaster," complains Justo. The continuous rains in recent weeks have ruined countless fields like his. "The current weather conditions favor the appearance of fungi, bacteria, viruses and other diseases," declared the provincial director of Plant Protection, Ariel Castillo Rodriguez.
The land that Justo and his family work belongs to the Carlos Hidalgo Credit and Services Cooperative, at Kilometer 5 on the San Juan Highway. The space allows him to plant up to 80,000 tobacco plants, but this year many of the plants will have died "having barely emerged from the ground," says the farmer.
Still, he says he feels fortunate because his land "has not been affected by black shank or blue mold," thanks to his having fumigated. The situation has been most difficult for the farmers in Vueltabajo region of Pinar del Rio, particularly in the towns of Consolación del Sur, Pinar del Río, San Juan y Martínez and San Luis.
The problems started right at the beginning of the harvest. Virginio Morales, acting director of the Provincial Tobacco Group, reported to the local press last week that the combination of high temperatures and the excessive rainfall associated with the El Niño phenomenon, has caused the loss of "83,500 seedling beds, and another 27,000 have been affected."
Tobacco farmer William Delgado shows the effects of the disease known as "black shank." (14ymedio)
The constant rains have greatly affected Justo's plantings. "It's the greatest damage my harvest has had, the tobacco is drunk, the plants remain tiny, it doesn't grow because of the excessive rain." More than 40% of the harvest has been lost for this reason and the only solution is "replant, even though it is not the season."
The optimum time for planting is already over, but hundreds of producers are going to plant tobacco, even to the end of March, to make up for the damage the rain has caused to the crop. The bad news is that it is still raining and the new shoots are also starting to be damaged.
The downpours "leave the leaves without their natural fatness," comments Justo, a man who has lived his whole life around the tobacco fields. As an example, he tells how he has harvested tobacco from very early in the morning, and "it's four in the afternoon and I have clean hands, if the tobacco was good, I would have had to wash my hands ten times."
Justo, like many tobacco growers in the area, does not believe that the crop insurance will repay for what was damaged. Last year he lost 16,000 plantings and they only paid him 2,200 Cuban pesos (less than $100 US).
In the Hoyo de Monterrey in San Juan y Martinez, a place where many say the best tobacco in the world is grown, Luis Brito Ajete concludes, "The tobacco is bad." In the five acres he cultivates with his son, "the plants have leaves like tissue paper," he complains.
The same thing is happening in Rio Feo, in the town of San Luis. William Delgado Rodriguez plants tobacco on 7 acres and, although he says he's had a "good harvest" in other years, this one "is bad, bad." On his land he planted 100,000 sets. "But between the water and the black shank disease, it's making me crazy."
To demonstrate the situation, William pulls up a fragile-looking plant and shows the damage caused by the disease on the lower stem. In the area where his farm is nestled, in the Ormani Arenado Cooperative, the plantings have stood up a little better, but in other areas "the farmers have had to pull up the entire harvest for replanting."
The young man noted that, right now, he has very little tobacco in the drying house and knows cases of other peasants whose tobacco has rotted after harvesting because of the dampness, so he is not expecting big profits from the current harvest. "For a 220 pounds, we are paid 1,950 Cuban pesos, and the quality of the leaf here will be very low," he predicts.
From a small battery-powered radio comes the contagious rhythm of Bob Marley singing "No Woman No Cry" and the farmer takes advantage of it to say, "well, this is the harvest of tears."
Author 14ymedioPosted on February 9, 2016 February 10, 2016 Categories 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Land Leases, a "Half-ownership" / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Juan José Muñoz, 83-year-old who leases land, in the doorway of his home. (14ymedio / Juan Carlos Fernandez)
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Pinar del Rio, 14 January 2016 – The earth and the man who works it end up resembling each other. The skin becomes rough and dark like freshly plowed earth, and the face is lined with furrows where seeds could be planted. So it is with Juan José Muñoz, who at 83 has merged with the land that he recovered a few years ago, through a usufruct lease arrangement, long after they took it from him decades ago.
The old man with lively eyes can be found at kilometer 8 on the La Ceniza road, near the city of Pinar del Rio. He is one of the 2,596 farmers who, since 2012, have received lands under the usufruct form of leasing, with a total of roughly 36,000 acres now managed by private farmers. continue reading
"Planting tabacco soothes my soul, I learned it from my father as far back as I can remember, and I like it," says Muñoz. Despire his advanced age, he still has the energy not only for cultivating, but also for cutting firewood, cooking and even making the odd joke when someone passes by his humble home.
"I was born here and I grew up working with my father, my uncles and two brothers, in the same place," he says. However, at the end of the seventies State Planning decided to use his to grow citrus. "They forbade us to plant tobacco," he says with regret, but affirms, "They couldn't take it all from me and they left me 2.5 acres."
Losing what had been the center of life as he knew it, Muñoz working in the citrus plant located in the road to La Coloma, but, he says, "I wasn't born to spend eight hours in a factory, so I asked to be released and went back to the fields." On his only remaining land he raised chickens, pigs and even grew a little tobacco. "They couldn't prevent me because it was my land," he says, with a wild glint in his eyes.
"It was a long time until they again allowed the widespread cultivation of tobacco, because the citrus never paid off; after that they approved the usufruct arrangements and I asked for the 12 acres we had always planted with tobacco," and, he stressed, indicating the land around his house, "all of this we'd had forever, since I was tiny."
With the adoption in 2008 of Decree Law 259, replaced by Decree Law 300 in 2012, the government of Raul Castro permitted "the delivery in usufruct [leasing] the benefits of state property to natural or legal persons." Those interested could, from that time, request a maximum of 33 acres for a period of up to ten years, renewable for additional ten-year periods.
That's how Muñoz as an old man returned to working the fields that had been his family's. Now, he plants rice, corn, tomatoes, sweet potatoes and fruits, especially for his own consumption. "Life is hard, and the land does not produce like before," he says, while straining a little coffee on his wood stove.
Electricity has not officially come to the house of Muñoz or the 15 other farmers who live nearby. An illegal line provides them the service, but not without setbacks. "That has brought me problems, inspectors have come to threaten us with fines." The low voltage only allows turning on "one light bulb," and so he hasn't bought a refrigerator or television, "because it would just go to waste."
This year the drought has taken its toll on the octogenarian's fields. "All the seedlings the Fructuoso Rodriguez Agricultural Production Cooperative gave me have gone to waste. Now the land is bare, completely bare" and he has to "buy seedlings privately," he explains.
The problems he experiences are shared by most of his neighbors. The land leasing arrangement has not worked in the region as expected and by the end of 2015 the local press reported that it 3,504 individuals in Pinar del Rio who had taken advantage of this arrangement had lost their land. According to the official version, irregularities were found, such as "the abandonment of an area for more than six months and not dedicating the land to the purposes for which it was granted.
Muñoz sees the situation very differently. Although he has been able to continue to work his piece of land, he says that most of the time he cannot get fertilizer, the tractors are broken and there is no fuel. "This year the seeds didn't sprout," and he complains that he can't rely on crop insurance against natural disasters. "Three years ago my tobacco harvest was diseased, and I applied for the insurance but I am still waiting."
Across the province 116,000 acres remain available to be leased, especially in the districts of Sandino, Mantua, Consolacion del Sur and Los Palacios. However the land is difficult to farm and infested with the invasive and very hard to get rid of marabou weed, so even the boldest decline to apply for it.
Despite the few advantages that the stubborn farmer has been found in leasing his land, he says he appreciates "tranquility" of labor in the tobacco fields. This calm, however, could be about to end. "They came to me and told me that this year if I don't fulfill my plan they're going to cancel the contract." It would be the second time they took away his land.
Cuba farmer working the land with oxen
Author 14ymedioPosted on January 17, 2016 January 18, 2016 Categories 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Burning The Old Year / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Burning the old year is one of the Cuban traditions of celebrating New Year's Eve. (JC Fernandez)
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Pinar del Rio, 1 January 2016 — A family in the city of Pinar del Rio burns an effigy made of old clothes at midnight on December 31 in a traditional ceremony that seeks to eliminate bad luck and enter the new year with greater fortune, health and economic development.
Author 14ymedioPosted on January 1, 2016 January 1, 2016 Categories 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
'The Visionary': A Tank Dedicated To Fidel Castro / 14ymdio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
'The Visionary', a work of Humberto 'El Negro' Hernandez, in collaboration with Arquimedes Lores 'Nelo'.(Juan Carlos Fernandez)
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Pinar del Rio, 1 December 2015 – Pedestrians walking along Martí Street in the capital of Pinar del Rio were astonished last Wednesday on seeing a crane moving a tank. A work by the artist Humberto El Negro Hernandez, in collaboration with Arquimedes Lores Nelo, weighs several tons and has been baptized The Visionary, in homage to Fidel Castro.
After several months of labor in the bus rebuilding workshops, the installation has been installed in the middle of a public street, to the amazement of some and jeers of others. The piece, which was originally meant to be ready last August 13, the former Cuban president's birthday, was only finished a few days ago. continue reading
The authors readjusted the schedule and decided to inaugurate the installation this 26 November, Pinar del Rio's Day of Dignity. In the construction and placement of the piece collaborators include the Music Center, the Cuban Writers and Artists Union (UNEAC), the Provincial Department of Culture, the Committees for the Defense of the Revolution (CDR), the Federation of Cuban Women (FMC), the Communist Party and the local government, and so El Negro Hernandez declares that "this is not an invention," with the pride of someone who has done something authorized "from above."
With regards to the similarity of the piece with a tank, the artist states, "What else is life but a tank?"
"It comes from our commander;s campaign cap," says El Negro Hernandez, noting that he has been inspired by this object that "sustains a thought that generates peace, dignity and progress."
Both creators cherish the idea of making a gift of the tank with their artistic intervention to the person honored, but did not explain how they would move the massive piece to Fidel Castro's residence in Havana.
Children playing. (Juan Carlos Fernandez)
Installing of the piece in such a central place has aroused great controversy, which is whispered, without anyone daring to publically express any criticism of the mass of metal. Only Pipo, a sympathetic character who wanders here and there, has dared to say out loud that "in reality, it's junk, nothing more."
For now, given its volume, in the wee hoursThe Visionary provides relief for the lack of public toilets.
Author 14ymedioPosted on December 2, 2015 December 2, 2015 Categories 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Pinar Del Rio, Under Siege By Dengue Fever / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Hallway in Pepe Portilla Pediatric Hospital where beds have been set up for fever patients. (Juan Carlos Fernandez)
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, 29 September 2015 – The fear of contracting dengue fever keeps thousands of families on tenterhooks in the province of Pinar del Rio, especially those with young children.
Problems with the water supply are among the main causes for the outbreak, said a family doctor from the Hermanos Barcón People's Council, who requested anonymity. "People build tanks, cisterns and try to store water and that is a constant focus of vectors," he says. "There are areas in the city that only receive water every fifteen days," adding that the "poor state of the health centers in the capital makes many people with the disease try to hide it so they will not be forced to go to a hospital," thereby increasing the risk of contagion. continue reading
Hospitals have reinforced their services to deal with cases of dengue fever, especially Leon Cuervo Rubio Hospital and Abel Santamaría General Teaching Hospital, which has one room only for pregnant women. It has also set up a room at the Simon Boliver Health Polytechnic and another for infants in the Turcios Lima polyclinic, while in the Pepe Portilla Pediatric Hospital the avalanche of fever cases has required them to place beds in the corridors, with mosquito nets to prevent transmission.
Although health authorities spread the word about the increase of cases in the region they have not yet provided data on infections. Dr. Mérida Morales Lugo, head of the International Sanitary Control Program, simply explained last Friday in a statement to the local newspaper Guerrilla that conditions are favorable for "accelerated vector reproduction," referring to the Aedes aegypti mosquito. However, the specialist said, so far there are no cases of hemorrhagic dengue fever, the most feared form of the disease.
There are confirmed cases of dengue fever in the four health areas of the Pinar del Rio capital and in eight of its People's Councils, an area that has a population of about 122,000. The disease has also reached the municipalities of San Luis, San Juan y Martinez and Consolacion del Sur, near the provincial capital.
Health authorities have urged people to go to the doctor at the least sign of fever symptoms. Medical students, staff in all the family medicine offices and public health administrative workers have been mobilized along with other workplace employees to search house to house, looking for people with symptoms of the disease.
Author 14ymedioPosted on September 30, 2015 September 30, 2015 Categories 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Cachita, Francis and Pinar del Rio / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Taking the road to Coloma. (Juan Carlos Fernandez)
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Pinar del Rio, 10 September 2015 — On Tuesday, the Virgin of Charity – Cachita, as we call her – again traveled the streets of the city of Pinar del Río. The procession was led by Bishop Jorge Enrique Serpa and the parish priests of the city. With the support of the Provincial Concert Band and a huge Cuban flag unfurled at the head of the crowd, the procession started in the parish dedicated to the Virgin in San Juan Strett, and proceeded to the Cathedral where Mass is celebrated.
The difference this year has been marked by the approach of the visit of Pope Francis and his connection to the restoration of diplomatic relations between Cuba and the United States. Perhaps encouraged by these novelties, a greater number of Pinareños attended the festivities for Cuba's patron saint on Tuesday.
Anselmo, approaching his eightieth birthday, was one of those who would not miss the moment. "I'm here because the Virgin heard our prayers and gave us a pope who has facilitated what many Cubans wanted," he told anyone who would listen. "Being on good terms with the United States can be a new beginning," he said.
The speeches and Masses offered for the Bishop of Rome during his visits to Bolivia, Paraguay and Brazil have also raised expectations about the words he will express in Cuba. Francis has increased in many hopes for change and renewal, not only within the Church but also in the social dimension. Pinareños also await those winds of change that surround him.
Who Has Barack Obama Betrayed? / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Raul Castro and Barack Obama greet each other for the first time at the funeral of Nelson Mandela in South Africa
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Pinar del Rio, 18 August 2015 — The restoration of diplomatic relations between the governments of Cuba and the United States is leaving a trail of reactions. Cuban civil society on both shores shows two positions with many nuances, on the one hand those in favor of the process and on the other those who are against it.
From those against it a sharp rebuke against President Barack Obama is heard, accusing him of being "a traitor to the cause of Cuban freedom." However, to think that the occupant of the White House embarked on such an adventure alone and on his personal initiative is crazy. continue reading
It is likely that the American president is anxious to change the direction of American policy toward Cuba. But he never would have succeeded if he had not had the support of a considerable number of legislators, both Republicans and those of his own party. So this political move represents the culmination of a strategy gestated before his arrival at the White House, and one whose principal protagonists were the so-called "pressure groups."
Among what are also called "lobbies," the powerful group representing commercial interests in the agricultural sector has led several initiatives of rapprochement toward the island. It has also promoted lifting the embargo and normalizing relations with the Cuban government. The reasons for this push in the direction of normalization are economic, but also political.
On the commercial side, American businesses are at a fundamental disadvantage with the restrictions against Cuba. Meanwhile, on the political side they argue that US influence in the region has declined considerably, thanks in large part to the conflict with Cuba's communist government, and China has stepped in.
A portion of US civil society has also exerted pressure to take the path of diplomatic normalization. Involved in this crusade has been the radical left, as well as unions, cultural organizations, NGOs, religious groups and academics.
Barack Obama, however, is the person responsible for the political insight to take advantage of the hemispheric situation, with Venezuela in a free fall, and serious internal problems in Bolivia, Ecuador and Brazil. Meanwhile, inside the island a profound economic crisis seems to have no end, there are grave social problems, and Fidel Castro is practically out of the political game.
Beyond that ability, Obama also responded to a demand from his people, represented by civil society pressure groups. To ignore them would represent political suicide for the next Democratic candidate. Surveys have proved him right, with more than 60% of Americans looking favorably on the initiative he has promoted with respect to Cuba.
Moreover, to accuse Obama of treason will not change what happened last 17 December and lays on him a responsibility that belongs to thousands of people. On the other hand, the fact that the Cuban leaders now shake hands with their neighbor to the north does not give them carte blanch to do whatever they want. This they know very well in the Plaza of the Revolution.
Author 14ymedioPosted on August 19, 2015 August 20, 2015 Categories 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
"Those Pools Aren't for the People" / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernández
The pool at the Frederick Engels Vocational School. (Juan Carlos Fernández)
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernández, Pinar del Río, 13 August 2015 — "New movies, lots of ice cream, and a good pool," is how a resident of Pinar del Río summarized his wishes for this school vacation. His second wish was granted at the local Coppélia ice cream shop, but his hometown has a sad record otherwise, counting only one open cinema, and no functioning pools.
Pinar del Río's eleven pools are either dilapidated or are under some sort of renovation keeping them closed to the public. In spite of it being a particularly warm summer, with temperatures exceeding 97ºF, the people of Pinar del Río have to make do with fans in order to cool off a bit. Or they make do like Yoankys and Maykel, who use "a hose in the backyard" when the heat becomes unbearable. They used to able to take dives at the pool of the Pinar del Río Hotel after paying admission in CUC's, but that option does not even exist anymore.
"This shows a lack of respect," opined Yoaknys, who added that in the Galiano and Mijares Districts, adjacent to the Pedro Téllez Vocational School's pool, the discontent is even greater. "People see the infrastructure is there, but we need the will to make it work." That blue, waterless, and dilapidated rectangle is an eyesore for anyone who takes a peek at the school's sports facilities. continue reading
Orestes, a longtime neighborhood resident who works on a government pig farm, said he could care less if there is a pool or not, but "the kids are sweltering, and we don't even have a lagoon with water." This man, who has always lived in the area, recalled that "the only recreation around here used to be the Vocational School's pool, but since they didn't change the water, they had to close it."
Mariela, a housewife who moved to the neighborhood only two years ago, blamed the empty pool on the drought. "It would be a scandal if we had a pool full of water while we're having such a hard time filling our water tanks." Pinar del Río Province is facing the lowest precipitation in half a century. Its reservoirs are at a little more than 30% of total capacity, and seven are at critically low levels. Mariela added: "We can't waste water for recreation when we barely have enough to wash dishes or bathe."
Jorge, the custodian in charge of the Vocational School's grounds said that "(the Ministry of) Public Health ordered the pool closed because it was a mosquito breeding ground." Together with the breakdown of pumping and water treatment systems, chlorine shortages are one of the causes that most often works against the safety of pool water throughout Cuba.
Bottom of the pool at the Ormani Arenado Sports School in Pinar del Río.
"This had turned into a health problem," explained Mariela, who remembered that several "youngsters got sick from fungus, skin infections, and otitis in that place," and said she was "relieved they drained the water, because it was a constant source of diseases."
In her opinion, "people aren't accustomed to pools. They don't even shower before getting in, and they urinate or eat while in the water. And that's not counting all those who in spite of having an infected wounds on their bodies, still dive in."
However, Antonio Vázquez, a staffer of the city's Ministry of Education, refused to accept that closing the pools is the way to solve health problems. "We want our children to learn how to swim, to play sports, and to spend their free time on wholesome recreation…but we have ten pools closed in this city!" he exclaimed in frustration.
Mr. Vázquez explained that "pools in the city of Pinar del Río fall under the jurisdiction of several government entities." According to this government employee, the Vocational School's pool is run by the Education Ministry, "but it was ordered closed by Public Health, because with the drought, they weren't able to change the water, and after a month, it was polluted."
A waiter at the Pinar del Río Hotel explained to 14ymedio that the closure of their pool was due to remodeling, "but it's going to end up looking very nice. We're opening it on August 13th *, with a ten CUC admission, of which eight covers food and drinks." The hotel employee stressed "they had to close it, because it was in a very bad sate, but now it's going to be perfect. We felt bad for the public, but it had to be closed."
Like a vanquished giant, the Olympic-size pool at the Nancy Uranga Physical Education College, is deserted and waterless. "We had to empty it," recalled the college's custodian "because youngsters would show up with alcohol and knives, and then things would get bad. The grounds are under police surveillance, but the problem did not go away." The custodian then explained, "The problem with the diving pool is another story. That one is contaminated." Its green water covered with a layer of litter confirmed the custodian's words.
Far from there, weeds cover the entrance path to the Frederick Engels Vocational School, inaugurated by Fidel Castro. It has been almost five years since any students have been able to submerge themselves in its two pools, which were once its source of pride. "No one gives a hoot about this. They were ruined because of the lack of upkeep," complained an employee. The pool at the Medical Sciences Department is in a similar state.
The Ormani Arenado Sports School has become the last hope for the desperate swimmer. However, two of the three pools have not been filled for months, and the Olympic-size pool overflows with a liquid covered by a green film that reeks terribly.
In contrast with these bleak scenarios, the Central Home of the Revolutionary Armed Forces, located on the Central Highway, at the outskirts of the city, showcases a well-maintained pool, but it is reserved for the members of the military. The Ministry of the Interior's Villa Guamá, located on the 4th kilometer (2.5 mile) mark of the highway to Viñales, is another one of the privileged locales enjoying the relief of a functioning and clean pool.
"But those pools aren't for the people," protested a frustrated Yoansky, the young man who tries beating the heat by dousing himself with a hose in his backyard. "It's as if they didn't even exist."
*Translator's note: August 13 is Fidel Castro's birthday and the day is often marked by "special" events such as this.
Translated by José Badué
Author 14ymedioPosted on August 16, 2015 August 16, 2015 Categories 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Translator: José Badué
Pinar Del Rio Comes Alive With The Internet / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Several people connected to the WiFi from the center of Pinar del Río. (14ymedio)
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Pinar del Rio, 15 July 2015 – For a long time the city of Pinar del Río has languished in the evening. The central Martí Street was a scene of complete desolation and only came alive Saturday with groups of young people wandering aimlessly. However, since early this month, the landscape has changed with the installation of a wireless network to surf the Internet, installed by the State Telecommunications Company of Cuba (ETECSA).
The WiFi service has changed the face of the central avenue for the four blocks from Independence Park to La Chiquita store. It is now a hive of people with phones, tablets, laptops and whatever technological device serves to access the web. At any hour of the morning, afternoon or night, the place is packed. continue reading
Entire families talk via Skype with their family members abroad. Students download information they can use in their next course, young people recently released onto the World Wide Web create their Facebook profiles, and hundreds of people, read, search and flit from one page to another. No one wants to be without their kilobytes. The tricks to it are shared outloud and if someone finds a way to optimize the connection time, the news travels from mouth to mouth.
A commotion, a jolt or a social phenomenon, the fact is that everyone agrees this city is not the same since the first of July. The park where as recently as two weeks ago only drunks and vagrants spent the night has been taken over by whole families gathered around a screen.
The park where as recently as two weeks ago only drunks and vagrants spent the night has been taken over by whole families gathered around a screen
The reduction in hourly connection costs, although still out of reach relative to wages, has motivated many to try this thing called the "interned." (sic) Now, at two convertible pesos an hour*, residents of Pinar del Rio have been added to the many Cubans who have taken to the places where 35 WiFi points have just been unveiled throughout the country.
A month before the service was turned on in Pinar del Rio, the antennas were installed for the connection and, barely two weeks beforehand, the bandwidth was tested with 120 people connected at the same time. Last weekend the phenomenon was launched and threatens to revolutionize the entire city.
Alejandro, a young college student who has already tested the service a couple of times, told 14ymedio, "This is the best vacation gift you could imagine, this is my best summer." With a tablet in hand, he navigates the social networks like Twitter, and watches videos on YouTube, while checking his email and looking for information on topics that interest him. The appetite for information is huge.
Like love, the Internet has no age and Leopoldina, 60, is almost crying with joy as she sees again via videoconference an emigrant son she hadn't seen in ten years. "My son, how beautiful you are and how pretty your house is. The whole neighborhood sends you greetings and kisses," the lady repeats, still a little surprised that this "box with keys" had returned her "little boy" to her.
Nearby a group of young girls looks for friends on Facebook. The complicit laughter and the whispers into each other's ears complete the picture. A few yards away another girl, sitting in a doorway, chats her cellphone. "For us, who have nothing, this is very good," explains the young woman without taking her eyes off the screen. "The price is high and many people can't afford the equivalent of 50 Cuban pesos per hour, but I hope they'll lower it later," she says with enthusiasm.
Leopoldina, 60, is almost crying with joy as she sees again via videoconference an emigrant son she hadn't seen in ten years
In Independence Park the connectivity is quite a spectacle. Loudspeakers play reggaeton every hour, while hundreds of young people are everywhere, some connected to the web, others dancing.
Baseball lovers, in Rock Forest Park now consult the web for the latest results of the Cubans playing in the major leagues. The minute they hear of the recent high level leaks against the United States their comments contrast with the silence of the government press on these matters. "They don't have to say anything now, explain anything to us. Now we already have the news of the day," a fan shouts loudly.
People, despite the costs, bite the bullet and live the experience of access to a vast diversity of information. "It is a sensation of freedom that I've never experienced before, 'brother'," Geddy Carlos enthuses. Seated next to eight young people who share an application through which they are all linked through a single account and so save money.
"Cubans always look for ways to overcome obstacles," points out Andy, one of those connected to the peculiar network formed by all these guys stuck to their laptops. A young couple, next to them, jumps from El Nuevo Herald to el Diario de las Americas, and before they disconnect they take a look at El Pais. The bright flashes of the red LED on the USB memory shows they are making copies of everything they read.
"Look at what Antonio Castro is saying in Turkey!" a surprised young man murmurs, and an flood of friends come over to look at the page appearing on the screen. Midnight is approaching and the parks are still full. It seems that Pinar del Rio doesn't want to go to sleep.
*Translator's note: 2 convertible pesos is more than $2 US, the equivalent of two days wages or more for many workers.
Author 14ymedioPosted on July 17, 2015 July 17, 2015 Categories 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
The Potato, the winning candidate in Pinar del Río / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Line to buy potatoes in Pinar del Río. (14ymedio)
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Pinar del Rio, 20 April 2015 – On the day that Cubans voted to elect the local representatives of the People's Power, the State markets in Pinar del Río put potatoes on sale.
Chance, someone said, is the daughter of causality and hence the suspicion of some who interpreted the sale of the highly valuable tuber as an electoral strategy to get the voters to leave their homes or to set aside possible plans to flee to the homes of friends or family who live far away. Who would allow themselves to lose a chance to buy potatoes for one Cuban peso a pound just to escape their commitment to the delegate elections. Very few. A triumph of political marketing in the best Soviet style. continue reading
The State markets are located very close to the polling stations. "Killing two birds with one stone," as they say. Vote and from there go to the market to buy potatoes.
A gentleman of seventy said, before placing his ballot in the ballot box, "I'm going to finish with this delegate quickly, I don't know who he is and I don't care," to immediately add, "I'm going to get in the potato line, there are a lot of people and they close at noon today." With a certain tone of electoral authority, he concluded, "The potato won these elections, my friend."
If from the mood of the inhabitants of the city of Pinar del Río it was clear that something had changed, it was because they were celebrating the victory of the absolute winner of these unforgettable elections which took place on the market stands and which had as the only candidate a food that appears very sporadically in these markets.
Meanwhile, in the balloting there was a notable boredom among the poll tenders, anxious for closing time to arrive. Indifference and apathy surrounded the process to select "the most capable." "It's tedious and nobody takes it seriously," said a commentator at the Parque del Bosque Peña de Pelota in the city center.
On this "historic election day," the potato had no rival candidate and carried the day with a resounding victory.
Author 14ymedioPosted on April 21, 2015 April 21, 2015 Categories 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Rise and Fall of a Diocese / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Extension of the Diocese of Pinar del Río. (Juan Carlos Fernández / 14ymedio)
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Pinar del Rio, 26 March 2015 – "How much everything has changed! How gorgeous the Cathedral is with those add-ons!" exclaimed a Catholic layman on returning to visit his native Pinar del Rio after three decades of exile.
The improvement of the infrastructure of the diocese, which started with the arrival of Archbishop Monsignor Jorge Enrique Serpa, is impressive. The construction work was fast-tracked and the traditional problems with permits disappeared. The cost of the strategy to sustain it, however, will be difficult to sustain.
Cardinal Jaime Ortega and Archbishop Serpa together undertook the task, which happened to please the Cuban authorities, removing part of the secular activity of the diocese to achieve, in exchange, benefits. continue reading
When in January 2007, Monsignor José Siro González Bacallao made official Serpa's assumption of the Diocese, a new chapter began in the pastoral, religious and social life of the local church.
The appointment coincided with a rapprochement between the authorities and part of the Catholic hierarchy, led by the Archbishop of Havana, Jaime Ortega y Alamino. This improvement in relations culminated in the visit to Cuba of Benedict XVI, in March 2012, and the release from prison of a large group of political prisoners of the 2003 Black Spring.
The Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba also paved the way to understanding. The two bishops most uncomfortable for the Government were about to retire for reasons of age. In Santiago de Cuba, Pedro Meurice, old and sick ceded his episcopate to his disciple, Dionisio García. At the other end of the island, José Siro retired to Mantua and left the way open for the pact.
Since the inauguration of the new bishop in Pinar del Rio, it took just three months to begin the dismantling of all the works that were considered an obstacle to improving relations with the government.
It took just three months to begin the dismantling of all the works that were considered an obstacle to improving relations with the government
The members of the editorial board of the Church magazine Vitral were forced out, and the training center and publisher were dismantled. They also dissolved the Brotherhood of Assistance to Prisoners and Their Families, the Youth Ministry, the Catholic Commission for Culture and the Diocesan Council of Laity. Thus, the lay members left the structure of the Pinar del Rio Church.
When Monsignor Serpa took over, after 20 years serving in the Bogota Archdiocese, the Pinar del Rio Diocese had only 17 priests, fewer than 30 nuns, and a large group of committed lay people. The churches were deteriorated and the difficulties in obtaining permission for restoration were notable.
Now, for the first time in more than fifty years, all the parishes have priests, the number of members by religious congregation has grown, and the entry and establishment of other orders, among them the Brigidine Sisters, have been extended from Havana.
Management has been allowed, in addition to restoring the Cathedral, to enlarge the parish house and the construction of a complex of classrooms for catechisms and meetings. The Church has been able to buy a site for Caritas located in the center of the city, less than a block from the provincial headquarters of the Communist Party.
In addition, in just eight years Sandino is the first captive people to have a temple, one of the greatest diplomatic achievements in the last 25 years of the authorities insistently denying Siro permission. The return of the religious processions in all the dioceses is also a noted achievement of Serpa.
But the negative consequences of his mandate have also been felt. The bishop complains of a lack of motivation and commitment among the faithful, including to make donations. On the other hand, the social commitment is almost zero and the pastoral is ecclesial – more severe than the so-called clerical. Except for the Bishop, there is no presence of Church members in any social environment.
"The loss of moral authority is not achieved overnight," whispers a Pinar del Rio Catholic. "Rebuilding costs far more than any new temple," says the layman.
The legacy the current bishop will leave when he retires, at age 75, will be a magnificent architectural infrastructure that will not need to be touched for a while. The challenge will be re-form, articulate and prepare the Church formed by laymen which was dismantled.
Chango defeats the Institute of Physical Planning / Juan Carlos Fernandez
Removing Gisel's roof (Juan Carlos Fernandez)
From the Tail of the Caiman blog, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Pinar del Rio, 20 March 2015 — As usual, Grisel got up early, made coffee. Afterwards she looked out over the back of her apartment – on the ground floor of an ugly concrete block – where, like many of her neighbors, she had added a room thirty years ago. No family member lived in her room, rather it was the "foundation room" where many of the faithful came every day "to consult with her."
An enormous image of Changó dominates the place. Grisel Arteaga is Santeria. After bowing before her orishas and sprinkling a little brandy on them, she began her housework.
Around noon there was a knock on her door. It was a man who presented himself as the head of the demolition brigade for Physical Planning, and he tells her he has come to tear down her added room. Grisel can't believe it and quickly calls, on her cellphone – blessed technology, her son Idael Marquez. "Mi'jo, come fast, the wreckers are here to tear down the foundation room," she says. continue reading
"The brigade is waiting," claims the official, and "we also brought a police patrol unit, because that's the procedure." The woman can't stand it and explodes, "Why when I built it didn't they come and tear it down? Now because a boss gets it in his head that it isn't sightly you want me to tear it down?" she asks, furious. And adds, "Right now my son and I are going to go into the foundation room and you're going to have to take me out dead, you hear me?"
"Ask Changó not to hurt us, we're not going to go on with this"
The brigade, made up of five men, starts to remove the light covering from the terrace. Meanwhile, Gisel and her son stay inside. They pray, join hands and close their eyes. One of the young men of the brigade looks on from the doorway and asks permission to enter. "I want to present my respects to the orishas, I don't have anything against you, but I'm afraid that 'they' won't think so and will skin me," he says, fearfully. Grisel stares at him and says, "Look, my son, you are playing with fire and you are going to get burnt."
Grisel's son can't remain silent. "There is a head that thinks this, and a hand that executes it. You are the hand, the head doesn't show his face, he sends you guys to do the dirty work and make enemies. You have to choose and say no to the head." The young man nods.
The brigade chief approaches the door and repeats that they should leave, but Grisel refuses to give in. Then he calls to the police, "You need to come and control this." But nobody wants to mess with Changó. The officer pulls back "You're wrong, we're here to avoid any problems of violence and so far I don't see any," he says, before starting the car and taking off.
One of the workers stands there and yells, "What's going on. If the Government wants to take off the roof, let it come and take it off. I don't want any problems with the saints, coño," and he prostrates himself before the statue of an Indian that Grisel has in a corner. Another approaches and whispers, "I have two little girls, please, ask Changó not to hurt us, we're not going to go on with this." They end up collecting all the tools and fleeing at full speed in the brigade's old Russian truck.
Juan Carlos Fernandez. I was born and live in Pinar del Rio and from this blog I want to defend freedom of expression.
Author Translating CubaPosted on March 24, 2015 March 24, 2015 Categories Juan Carlos Fernandez
"I am a meddlesome peasant" / 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez
Eduardo Diaz Fleitas on his farm. (14ymedio)
14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Entronque de Herradura, 31 January 2015 – Entronque de Herradura is a little village in the Pinar municipality of Consolacion del Sur. I go there in search of Eduardo Diaz Fleitas, a Cuban with rapid speech, skill with the ten-line stanza and proven courage. He was among the 75 dissidents sentenced during the Black Spring of 2003, but not even a long prison stay made him lose his smile or wit.
Fleitas asserts that he is "just a meddlesome peasant." In this interview he speaks of his life, his early activism and of that other passion, which is the land where he has worked as long as he can remember. continue reading
Question: In other interviews your work as an opponent always comes up, but I would like to speak of your personal history. What did you do before that fateful March of 2003?
Answer: As a child I worked in the fields. I had to grow up fast, and I studied auto mechanics. Later I became a driver and even drove a bus. In 1989 I started driving a taxi and later became a transport inspector. However, in 1993 I stopped working for the State, demanding that they pay me with dollars to be able to buy in the hard currency stores because the national currency had no value. Since then I have worked on the plantation with my father.
Q: Where did the ethical and moral values that guide your life come from?
A: My father taught me respect, kindness, honesty and love of work, spirit of service and help to others. From my mother, a farmer and housewife, I learned effort and integrity as well as loyalty and also love, which I have seen in them, because they have been married since 1950.
Q: What was the process that led you to be disappointed in the political and social process which, from its beginnings, said it was defending the peasantry?
A: With the triumph of the Revolution we thought, like many, that it was something good. But after three or four months things began to get bad; the executions, the land was no longer ours. The discourse ran one way and reality the other. All that was waking me up.
Q: But it's a long way from discontent to activism. When did you begin to be a dissident publicly?
A: In the year 1988. Since then and until now I have been active in several opposition organizations and held different responsibilities.
Q: During the Black Spring of 2003 you were arrested along with other dissidents, journalists, librarians and independent trade unionists. They sentenced you to 21 years imprisonment and you were behind bars almost nine years. How hard was jail?
A: What most struck me about the Cuban penitentiary system is the great cruelty with which the inmate is treated, whether political or not. There you are not a person, you are at the mercy of your jailers. I saw extremely sick prisoners ask for medical attention, and the guards laughed in their faces. We must humanize Cuban prisons!
I also have to say that prison offered me the chance to see, to my surprise, how many people support, in one way or another, the peaceful opposition movement in Cuba. I never felt alone inside. Prison also gave me the opportunity to harbor not even a drop of hatred against my victimizers. In my heart there exists neither hatred nor rancor towards them.
Q: You have participated in several unity initiatives among opposition forces, the latest of them the Open Space of Civil Cuban Society. Do you believe consensus can be achieved in spite of differences?
A: All proposals of this type are excellent. What I do consider unjustifiable is the dismissive insult and personal attack among ourselves. That is the method the Cuban government uses against us, it is anti-democratic and not at all ethical. No activist should fall for something like that. We must have consensus on basic points, and that is what Open Space has achieved and what we have sought for years. I am happy to be able to participate in that initiative.
Q: What do you think about the intention of the governments of Cuba and the United States to re-establish diplomatic relations after more than half a century of confrontation?
A: As of last December 17 a new era for Cuba began. The government of the United States has realized that the prior policy was a dead end with no way out, and now a host of opportunities is opening for our people.
I have asked people about the measures announced by the American government, and they look favorably on them, because they mean prosperity for the people. But when I have asked them what they think of the Cuban government in the face of this challenge, they answer that they do not trust it. Nevertheless, I am optimistic. We must create awareness that dialog is best. I believe that the United States is committed to us and has intelligently confronted the regime.
We have to have the courage to reclaim democracy and to respect our rights. The era of change may be coming for all Cubans, and it falls to everyone to do it in harmony. Cuba has to flourish again for everyone and for the good of all!
Unanimity is not good. We must live in diversity. But it is good for us to be unanimous when dealing with differences. Well…better I say it in verse:
Cuban,
Why is it that it doesn't matter to you
To ruin your dignity?
Because so much calamity
Will never produce heroism.
Bury that pessimism
That daily assaults you.
Raise your voice, you are able
To be the example of the titan
Awaken those who are
Prisoners of their own webs.
Translated by MLK
Author Translating CubaPosted on February 2, 2015 December 19, 2017 Categories 14ymedio, Juan Carlos Fernandez, Translator: Mary Lou Keel


Also google Steve Bannon's favorite philosopher's Alexandre Dugin (Putin's Rasputin), and Julius Evola to know more about Steve Bannon's (Trump's Brain) plan for America.
I laughed so hard reading those signs, and the comments under each picture ofa relative of Bob's family, so adorable and hysterically funny. I really needed some laughter today! I also like the Bitter Blue Bird! Great post! Karen 🙂 ***definitely following you – a shout out to Chris, the Story Reading Ape's blog for introducing many of us to your blog!
The narrator of a story is the in-world storyteller, the voice that imparts the story events to the audience. Narrative point of view, often called POV, determines the position of the narrator, relative to the story. Points of view include first person, second person, and third person.
If readers envision the events of a story as a movie playing in their minds, then the narrative point of view is best described as where the camera is sitting at any given time. In the case of first-person point of view, the camera is inside the narrator's head; we see the story through their eyes. In limited third-person point of view, the camera sits on one character's shoulder; that character is not telling us the story, but we're close to their perspective of events. In omniscient third-person point of view, the camera is pulled back so it can capture everything in the story objectively.
In a first-person narrative, the narrator is a character within the story—often (but not always) an active participant. First-person point of view is easily identified by the narrator's use of I or we. It's often told from the point of view of the protagonist. The Catcher in the Rye is an example of a first-person narrative told from the protagonist's perspective. However, first-person narrative can also be relayed by a secondary or tertiary character, such as when the narrator is a witness to the story events rather than an active participant. In the case of a story such as Heart of Darkness, the first-person narrator is relaying a story as told to him by someone else.
The first-person point of view provides ample opportunities to present a narrator with a distinct voice, which flavors the story's tone, giving it personality and a subjective slant. For this reason, first-person narration can feel more intimate, as if the reader is in a close conversation with the storyteller. First person often feels as if we're inside the narrator's head. When executed well, this helps readers forge deep and lasting connections with the character and the story.
First person is ideal for stories that need to explore the narrator's internal thoughts and emotions. However, first-person narrative comes with interesting limitations, such as when the narrator is not privy to what other characters are thinking, feeling, or doing. Because some stories require that readers know what other characters are thinking and doing, first-person narration is not always appropriate.
First-person narration is frequently used in all genres of fiction and is especially common in the nonfiction categories of memoir and autobiography.
You keep thinking that with practice you will eventually get the knack of enjoying superficial encounters, that you will stop looking for the universal solvent, stop grieving. You will learn to compound happiness out of small increments of mindless pleasure.
Third-person point of view is the most common form of prose narrative because it offers the greatest flexibility with access to all characters and full view of the story world and all events taking place. Even limited third-person narratives offer broader access to the story's full scope than a first-person narrative. Characters are referred to as he, she, and they. There is no I or you. The narrator is not a person but an entity.
Third-person narratives are categorized on two axes: subjective/objective and omniscient/limited.
Third-person subjective allows the narrator to describe characters' thoughts and feelings using internal dialogue. Third-person objective does not have access to characters' thoughts and feelings; it only offers an external view of the characters. Many narratives float in and out of subjective and objective, giving readers glimpses of the characters' thoughts when it benefits the story and keeping the characters' thoughts hidden when doing so serves the story.
A third-person omniscient narrative has full view of the story and characters at all times. The narrator knows everything in the story world but may choose which details to reveal to the reader. A third-person limited narrative only has full knowledge of one character and can only relay events that character is privy to.
Narrative point of view is an important consideration for any storyteller, because it helps orient readers in the story world by giving them a distinct perspective from which they observe the story events unfolding.
Come to a Memory, by Francis Webb, is an extraordinary read. It feels genuine and real. I felt like I was reading a true story from the viewpoint of a little nine-year-old girl, named Lila. America was barely edging out of the depression era and nerves stretched thin by the inconceivable shock, fear, and confusion of another war, so soon after the Great War. This story takes place at the beginning of WWII in a small town and a family suffering financial loss like so many others during the Great Depression. What many people forget is that children were the ones that suffered in silence because that was the way children were instructed to behave, but not Lila.
Lila, intelligent, stubborn, and inquisitive, found ways to-be-heard, by throwing acorns at her cantankerous grandfather, as she hid in a tree, and by hiding a real chicken foot in her sleeve during her grandmother's wake, terrifying ladies as Lila greeted them at her front door, not with her hand but with the chicken foot—claws and all.
Lila's complex friendship with a Jewish boy from Germany, named Joab, who came to join her 4th grade class, grew slowly during the time before America entered into WWII after Pearl Harbor. Lila's choice to befriend Joab, over the sneering remarks of children and adults alike, taught both lessons they would never forget. Through it all, it was Lila and Joab, both suffering for being different, who helped to mend the suspicions of a small town about a little boy who escaped Nazi Germany, though his family did not. I highly recommend this true-to-life story. This historical fiction, "Come to a Memory", made me cry, made me smile, and made me laugh hysterically. A story that still lives in the hearts of many, still here, to remember the horror that was. I highly recommend this story – to one and all!
Dialogue is one of your primary story telling tools. Dialogue means more than just attribution, meaning to tell the reader whose voice is speaking at any given time within any given scene/chapter.
It defines through speaking who they are, their character, their state of mind, and their intentions, most often. The "he said and she said" attribution is the most common and most accepted form for attribution. On the other hand, a "beat" is a description of a physical action that can be used to indicate the speaker instead of an "attribution".
Don't explain your dialogue. When you follow dialogue with phrases like "he said angrily" or "she said harshly" you are explaining how the character feels. Instead, their feeling should be obvious by the words they say as well as their actions.
Use of an adverb(ly) almost always catches you in the act of explaining dialogue. Instead of an adverb, use a beat of action to convey your characters' feelings.


Today I have a video for your viewing pleasure. I recently picked up some cute East Asian beauty products that I pretty much didn't know what to did or how they worked but they looked interesting and cute so I kinda just had to get them!
I've been using all the products and will be posting some reviews of them on here soon!


text:
RHOMBERG BAU: Family-owned construction company uses Microsoft 365 to unlock its digital potential
Rhomberg Bau GmbH, part of a fourth-generation family-owned group, has started its journey of digitization. MondayCoffee, a trusted Microsoft Gold Partner, is supporting Rhomberg Bau on this important project, helping them take the fast track wherever possible to enable Rhomberg's stakeholders to experience the benefits of digitization.
For Rhomberg, MondayCoffee combined Office 365, Dynamics CRM and Azure. Using Microsoft PowerApps, Power BI, Flow, SharePoint lists, Dynamics CRM, and Outlook, three key processes of Rhomberg were automated, simplifying collaboration, reducing time expenditure, and increasing transparency.
Rhomberg Bau GmbH, is organized in several business areas, united under a common strategy to improve collaboration among them. As a result, the company moved to the cloud, installed a Microsoft Office 365 tenant and replaced some IT legacy systems with Microsoft's standard tools.
To make collaboration happen, people need to change their habits. Together with Rhomberg Bau, MondayCoffee worked on that cultural change following a set of rules:
Files are only stored once.
Projects are created only once in the system, even if several business areas are working on it. (In the past, each area had their own separated project area.)
Transparency with regards to the progress of projects must be increased.
Processes and structures must be standardized and visualized in a clear and simple way in the system. Their application becomes less dependent on the individual person in charge.
In this collaboration with Rhomberg Bau, MondayCoffee tapped into the potential of unifying old IT systems, that have been managed differently in each business area, and making them more efficient through automation.
Through workshops, MondayCoffee demonstrated the potential of combining the three main components of Office 365, Dynamics CRM, and Azure. Together with various stakeholders from Rhomberg Bau, MondayCoffee conceptualized a suitable architecture and approach for launching a series of dedicated Business Apps on top of its new Microsoft platform with a step-by-step development path. MondayCoffee has launched the following Business Apps in pilot testing for Rhomberg:
Construction Defects App: Built to simplify the record (including uploading of smartphone pictures), classification, and tracking of construction defects.
In construction projects, classification and tracking of construction defects are the biggest drivers of cost and deadline overruns, which is why a simplified recording and tracking process is important to the company. Furthermore, this app allows the company to rate their suppliers in terms of construction quality.
Dynamic Storage App: Built to dynamically create SharePoint site structures to save project-related documents in one single place – based on business partners involved (according to the CRM project entries). For big construction projects, it is key that all parties involved store and find important documents intuitively without getting lost in complex filing hierarchies.
Building Documentation App: Built to improve communication with client stakeholders on a project's progress. The app allows all parties to easily upload and send pictures and plans of the building site and post news about the progress.
To develop the apps, MondayCoffee used the following Microsoft tools: PowerApps, Power BI, Flow, SharePoint lists, Dynamics CRM, and Outlook Online.
All apps are currently being used in a pilot phase by key users, who have been trained accordingly. A full-scale roll-out is planned for the calendar year 2019, while further apps and improvements are expected to come on an ongoing basis.
With all the apps developed and launched with Rhomberg – on top of the new platform – the automation of small tasks has improved and simplified cross-team collaboration. Apart from time savings, the organization gains more transparency and higher quality on business relevant workflows.
Getting the organization to experience the new working environment and directly benefiting from it, means taking giant steps in the digital and cultural transformation of the group. Already, the key users are actively asking to roll-out the apps in other areas and develop new ones.
Tagged: Rhomberg Bau GmbH, Collaboration, Office 365, CoffeeNet, Communication, Microsoft, CoffeeNet 365
ENERGIEVERSORGUNG OFFENBACH AG: Supporting the digital transformation with CoffeeNet 365 and an active change management
Energieversorgung Offenbach AG (EVO) supplies 150 000 people in Hesse and the Offenbach region with electricity, natural gas, waterand heat every day. Developments in the energy industry and increasing digitalization present the company with new challenges. The rules of the markets have changed and so has the way companies communicate and work together today. As part of these changes, EVO has decided to implement the CoffeeNet 365 Cloud Collaboration Platform so that employees can collaborate faster, easier and better. And not only as a team, but also across divisions and companies with customers, partners and suppliers. Anytime, anywhere and from any device. The introduction of the trend-setting cloud standard solution, allowed the digitization of important business processes in the areas of communication, information procurement and knowledge exchange, significant cost savings in IT and most important an establishment of modern and sustainable communication and collaboration.
Tagged: CoffeeNet, Communication, Collaboration, Change Management, Culture
PLANZER TRANSPORT AG: Creating a work smart environment with CoffeeNet 365
The Swiss transport and logistics company Planzer with around 4,800 employees in Switzerland and abroad, set itself the goal of introducing a modern and forward-looking platform that can be used both as an intranet and for enterprise-wide collaboration. With the implementation of the Cloud-Collaboration-Solution CoffeeNet 365 the company established a trendsetting working and communication environment, increased the company-wide efficiency and the motivation and feel-good factor of the workforce.
Tagged: CoffeeNet, Collaboration, Efficiency, Communication
USTER TECHNOLOGIES AG: Changing today, means being ready for tomorrow!
For the development of new technologies and products, an efficient collaboration between USTER employees in Switzerland, US, China or India is key.
Roger Heckly works with data every day; He collects data, combines data, generates information and knowledge to then put it at disposal for his work colleagues. "I help my employer Uster Technologies AG, a leading Swiss manufacturer of measuring instruments for the textile industry, to get easier access to information and knowledge," says Heckly about his role in the company.
For Roger Heckly UsterNet was a catalyst for a cultural change.
As a key success factor, he sees above all a consciously chosen culture, which promotes collaboration between the globally distributed employees of USTER. "Five years ago, we began to change the way we work together, triggered by the introduction of the collaboration solution UsterNet, based on CoffeeNet and Microsoft SharePoint."
New way of working - Top-down
Whether an employee works in Tennessee or in Suzhou, the company goals must be clear to everyone. This requires, in particular, a direct and easy accessible communication from the CEO. At the same time, there must be no obstacles to effective collaboration between employees in Switzerland, the USA, China or India. These were the objectives of the former CEO of USTER. He initiated the launch of UsterNet in 2011 and personally supported the worldwide roll-out of the platform during the two subsequent years.
"UsterNet was a catalyst for change. Because it was not enough to just log in to the new tool, we had to learn a new way of working that fit the digital world. In that sense, having the top management as a role model was extremely important", Heckly summaries his observations during that time.
Historically grown data silos between departments and locations, which too often hindered efficient collaboration, had no right to exist anymore. With the UsterNet, employees were able to create virtual collaboration rooms, so-called workspaces, independently and without IT support. The information stored therein is accessible to authorized persons at any time. "This independency as well as the dismantling of the silos had to be practiced again and again," says Heckly about the most important tasks after the rollout of UsterNet.
The global UsterNet started as an intranet, a uniform information platform and a hub for all workspaces. But that was only the beginning.
The digital transformation happens everywhere.
More services - Bottom-Up
"This cultural shift continues to affect us today," says Heckly. For USTER, a long-term oriented increase in productivity is a central requirement. "After the UsterNet became an integral part of our daily work and we slowly familiarized with the new way of working, many are now realizing what is still possible."
Little by little, while using UsterNet, each business unit identified additional areas for efficiency improvements. One example is process-specific knowledge management in global sourcing, product management, textile technology or research & development. Key information, which previously one only got via its own network, can now be found through a central search function.
"One of the main points was dealing with correct information from the ERP system," says Heckly. Almost in every process there is the opportunity to integrate data from the ERP system, for example key figures on customers, products or suppliers, through UsterNet in the daily work. "This allows employees to work faster and with the right information, of which the source is clearly defined. And this reduces the number of mistakes."
Another example is Microsoft OneNote. OneNote is now increasingly used as an additional collaboration tool, accessible via the UsterNet. The open format of OneNote complements the features of the libraries for structured document storage, task management or posting news. In informal 'brown bag training' sessions, employees were shown how collaboration can be more informal yet also more effective with the help of OneNote: employee meetings, minutes or brainstorming sessions, for example.
"Employees have realized that thanks to UsterNet and to changing their way of working, it is now easier to organize and structure the exchange of information , also in teams with colleagues who work on other continents."
Communication, training and role models
Change or adopting a new behavior, does not happen just like that. It needs explicit support from top management. It needs training. It needs communication. It needs ambassadors such as Roger Heckly, who recognize early on how a new tool and the right way of handling it can have a positive impact on one's own work and the organization. "It is still in my interest to remind colleagues that no more documents are sent via e-mail, that there are better solutions for individual excel sheets in UsterNet, or that one can work very well with a search engine, as long as documents are properly tagged. The change of today means being ready for tomorrow - Heckly is convinced about that.
Tagged: CoffeeNet, Collaboration, Communication, Self-Service, Change Management, Culture

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The Situation: The UK government has proposed several corporate governance reforms in an effort to improve transparency and accountability in private and public employers.
The Result: If approved, the proposals would result in heightened scrutiny of executive pay, more involvement for worker representatives in large employers and an extension of corporate governance principles to large privately held companies.
Looking Ahead: The government's suggestions are only proposals at this stage. Plans are in place for secondary legislation to be approved by March 2018 with new regulations potentially coming into force in June 2018.
According to the British Prime Minister, a small number of companies have damaged the public's trust in "big business". The Government has therefore published a package of proposed corporate governance reforms with a view to improving transparency and accountability in both private and public employers. At the moment, these are only proposals, and the Government has asked bodies such as the Financial Reporting Council, the Investment Association and the GC100 to prepare advice and guidance on a number of points. The Government plans for secondary legislation to be approved by March 2018, with a view to coming into effect in June 2018 for financial years starting after that date. Further consultation may be necessary on the contents of that legislation. The headline points are below.
The Government proposes to require quoted companies, on an annual basis, to publish and justify the ratio of CEO pay to the average pay of their UK workforce. This is likely to affect approximately 900 listed companies. In addition, a number of changes will be made to address the concern that shareholders do not have enough power to hold to account companies that face significant opposition to executive pay.
The Government will: (i) invite the Investment Association to maintain a public register of listed companies where at least 20 percent of shareholders oppose the level of executive pay; (ii) invite the Financial Reporting Council ("FRC") to revise the UK Corporate Governance Code to specify the steps listed companies should take when executive pay policies are significantly opposed; (iii) require remuneration committees to engage more fully with the workforce and explain how executive pay reflects the wider pay policy; and (iv) reform the "poorly designed or explained" long-term incentive arrangements by, for example, extending the recommended minimum vesting period for executive share schemes from three to five years to encourage more long-sighted goals.
In respect of both private and public companies of "significant size", directors will be required to explain how they have met their responsibilities toward employees, suppliers, customers and the wider society. In addition, the Government will invite the FRC to consider a requirement for premium listed companies, on a "comply or explain" basis, to adopt one of three "employee engagement mechanisms". These companies would be required to: (i) assign a designated non-executive director to represent employees; or (ii) establish an employee advisory council; or (iii) appoint a director from the workforce. The government's "initial view" is a threshold of 1,000 employees should be used to determine applicability, but this is subject to further consideration. All company directors already have a duty to promote the success of the company (s.172 of the Companies Act), so in principle a wide range of companies could be within scope. The government recognises that a proportionate approach is needed as this is a new reporting requirement.
Concerns were raised that only companies listed on the London Stock Exchange are subject to corporate governance principles. The Government has decided that this form of reporting should be broadened to all UK companies of significant size. The Government's initial view is that the threshold should be application to companies with more than 2,000 employees, but further consideration will be given to this. Companies subject to an existing corporate governance requirement (like the UK Corporate Governance Code) would be exempt. The Government will invite the FRC to develop voluntary corporate governance principles for private companies. It will also implement legislation that requires such companies to publicly disclose their corporate governance arrangements and whether they follow any formal code. The Government is considering whether to extend this principle to limited liability partnerships of an equivalent scale; large professional services firms may therefore be affected.
This was an issue raised in the course of the consultation leading to these proposals. The Government has decided not to act at this stage but to continue to monitor progress toward voluntary goals (33 percent of directors in listed companies to be women by 2020) as well as monitoring ethnic diversity, with a view to acting through legislation if ratios do not improve.
If approved, reform measures proposed by the UK government would require public companies annually to publish and justify the ratio of CEO pay to the average pay of their UK workforce.
In another provision, the Financial Reporting Council is invited to consider and consult on the introduction of a specific provision in the Corporate Governance Code that would require premium listed companies, on a "comply or explain" basis, to adopt one of three "employee engagement mechanisms".
Corporate governance principles could also be applied to large privately held companies, "with the threshold initially proposed at companies with more than 2,000 employees unless they are subject to an existing corporate governance reporting requirement."


Men and women have been interested in age spot remedies for centuries. Combine today's latest skin technologies with proven homemade remedies and you may see the results in minimizing the appearance of these spots.
Many people prefer using natural age spot remedies. Natural remedies combine fruits, vegetables or items from your kitchen pantry to make a liquid to apply on the spots.
Apple cider vinegar: Mix one-teaspoon apple cider vinegar with one-teaspoon fresh onion juice. Use a cotton ball or pad to rub the solution on the spot, and let it stand for at least 30 minutes. Rinse off the liquid and repeat the treatment daily for up to six weeks. Alternatively, mix two teaspoons of the vinegar with one teaspoon of orange juice. Dab a cotton pad into the mix and rub it on the spots.
Buttermilk: Dampen the corner of a washcloth with buttermilk and then dab spots with the liquid. Buttermilk contains acids that are beneficial to the skin.
Horseradish: Purchase a fresh piece of horseradish, cut off about four to five inches, and grate it into a plastic storage container. Mix the grated horseradish with one-third cup of apple cider vinegar. Store the mixture in a sealed container and shake it once daily for two weeks. Strain off the liquid, and rub some on the age spots two to three times a day. Store the remaining liquid in a sealed container in the refrigerator.
Lemon juice: Dip a soft cotton swab in a capful of lemon juice and rub over age spots twice a day. After about a month, you should see a difference in the color of the spots because the citric acid in the lemon juice burns away the spots over time. Avoid sun exposure until the juice dries completely to prevent burning the skin.
Holistic practitioners use an approach that comprises total body wellness. The holistic method of fading age spots includes making permanent lifestyle changes that may result in reducing the appearance and darkness of the spots. In addition to making changes in your eating habits, exercising daily, utilizing procedures such as liver cleansing, avoiding sun exposure, or using appropriate supplements can slow down the aging process.
Diet modification: Some women have success in fading spots by making dietary changes. Changes in the diet help the body release toxins and diminish the chances for skin discoloration. A skin-strengthening diet consists of lots of fruits, vegetables and pure water. A purifying diet contains no caffeine, alcohol or oily foods.
Supplements: Supplements in tablet, gel or capsule form taken daily may give you some relief from these blemishes. Supplements like vitamin C, potassium, zinc and vitamin E offer health benefits such as aiding in tissue repair. If you are already taking prescription medications, consult your doctor first before taking any supplements.
Skin science has discovered new products and ingredients to fight the signs of aging. Look for over the counter (OTC) anti-aging skin care products that contain active ingredients like alpha hydroxyl acid, which works under the skin's surface to encourage cells to reproduce or retinoids.
Aloe vera: Buy aloe vera gel or use the gummy liquid from a fresh leaf to treat your spots. Leave the aloe vera on your skin for about an hour and apply it twice daily for a month.
Chemical peels: A specialized solution is used to dissolve age spots and other damaged surface tissue. There are various types of peels, and the intensity of the treatment depends on the skin type, degree of damage, and application method. Generally, patients may experience a stinging or itching sensation during chemical peel treatments along with some irritation or redness during the healing period.
Microdermabrasion: A special tool or exfoliant scrubs away the dark spots, exfoliates the skin deeply, and reveals fresher, healthier and smoother skin. In addition to improving the skin's texture, microdermabrasion diminishes the appearance of pigmentation such as age and sunspots. Side effects are minimal depending on the individual's general sensitivity and could include some redness immediately after the treatment. Purchase a kit or visit a skin care specialist or dermatologist for this procedure. Typically, an at-home microdermabrasion treatment is one of the cheapest methods for fading spots.
Prescriptions: Your physician may give you a prescription for a bleaching cream to fade spots gradually. For best results, practice safe sun protection during and after using the bleaching cream.
Retinoids: These synthetic substitutes for vitamin A encourage new cell growth and provide natural exfoliation. Purchase them in skin cream formulations for day or night use.
Considered the gold standard when it comes to age spot removal methods, a dermatologist or plastic surgeon can use laser treatments to fade the spots away. However, these treatments, which involve burning the spots off with a laser, are expensive. While pain levels are usually minimal and the treatments are generally short, some women report that the method is slightly painful.
Freezing off spots and warts, also referred to as cryotherapy, has garnered a lot of attention in recent years. Often used to eradicate cancerous skin cells, it can also remove age spots. The technique involves freezing abnormal cells with liquid nitrogen, which is placed on the spot to destroy the dark pigmentation. The procedure is typically quite quick with minimal side effects such as the formation of blisters, scarring and bleeding.
This procedure, also known as IPL, is a more recent player in the world of age spot removal. It involves a stream of intense broadband light that burns age spots quickly and efficiently. Generally, the treatment is free of side effects and does not require a long recovery period.
Since sun damage is such a major factor in the development of age spots, it should come as no surprise that preventing their formation starts with sun protection. Proper sun protection is essential for everyone who spends time outdoors, no matter what time of year it is. Wear sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15, and be sure to apply it at least 15 minutes prior to stepping outdoors. The key to spot free skin is to prevent further outbreaks once your skin is clear. Wear long sleeves and a wide brimmed hat when you head outdoors.
Age spots are a part of getting older. Many women ignore minor spots, but if they are large, obvious, or make you uncomfortable, treating them can help you have the confidence that comes from looking and feeling your best. With the right remedies, you can fade age spots and enjoy clear skin again.


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Fairfield County man is being charged for participating in the U.S. Capitol riot
'One day — it's like a miracle — it will disappear': What Trump has said about the pandemic and masks
State police search sprawling Farmington home once owned by Fotis Dulos' development company
Connecticut's new tax commissioner analyzing tax implications for remote workers during pandemic
The Access Community Action Agency recognizes far-reaching impact of long-term employees
Multifamily housing fight in Woodbridge could have broad implications for zoning in Connecticut
Geno Auriemma Says Texas Trip Sets Up Like NCAA Tournament
By Mike Anthony
manthony@courant.com |
UConn women's basketball head coach Geno Auriemma comments on getting quality minutes from his bench players after UConn defeated the Houston Cougars, 95-35, at the H&PE Arena in Houston Saturday.
HOUSTON — Following a 60-point victory over Houston Saturday afternoon, the UConn women's basketball team made the 170-mile bus ride west to Austin.
The Huskies will practice Sunday morning and play No. 7 Texas Monday night at the Erwin Center.
For UConn (15-0, 5-0 AAC, with a 51.2-point average margin of victory in conference play) it's probably a good time to step out of conference.
"It always is," coach Geno Auriemma said. "We've got three more non-conference games — Texas, South Carolina and Louisville. Those are three pretty good teams, and two are on the road. I know a lot of coaches don't like to play those — this idea of, well, our conference is so tough that we don't want to play anybody outside the conference. That's like the most bogus thing I've ever heard. We played in the toughest conference in women's basketball [the Big East] before our conference broke up, and we loved playing nonconference games in January and February."
Why? Because they are good preparation for the NCAA Tournament, particularly when part of a set-up like this week's Texas swing.
"I love games like this," Auriemma said. "I especially love them on the road. And I especially love them on Monday night after a Saturday game, because when you get to the NCAA Tournament, this is exactly what you're going to get. You're going to get a game on Saturday or Sunday, and then a game on Monday or Tuesday, and the [second] game is usually harder than the one you just played."
Dailey Honored
Associate head coach Chris Dailey recently received notification that she was one of 10 finalists for induction to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame (by phone and email) and was sworn to secrecy before the announcement Thursday.
Dailey has been by Geno Auriemma's side for 33 seasons, 1,006 victories and 11 national championships.
"It's just a great honor to have your name in the conversation with the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame," she said Saturday. "It's not something expected, but I have a lot of respect for everyone that's ever been recognized and the other people up for induction. I never thought about it. It says more about, I think, our program and the people I work with and the players I've coached than it does about me, personally."
Gordon Pleases Crowd
Freshman guard Lexi Gordon made a three-pointer in the fourth quarter and had two rebounds, making the most of her five minutes off the bench. She is from Fort Worth and had several friends and family members in attendance.
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"We were excited," Gabby Williams said of Gordon's 3-pointer, her first of the season. "Another moment where we feel like everyone gets to contribute. She's excited for us every time one of us hits a 3, so it's nice to return it."
Another reserve, sophomore Kyla Irwin, made four of five shots and had eight points in 11 minutes.
"I thought Kyla had a great day," Auriemma said. "She plays with a lot of energy and effort. The kid gives you a great effort every time. She's somebody I enjoy watching play. … And the 4-5 minutes that Lexi got, she did a pretty good job. It's day to day [with reserves' productivity], and it doesn't even matter to me if you don't get all of them all the time. As long as we get a couple of them all the time. We'll see about Monday. One step at a time." … UConn has won 44 road games in a row, an NCAA record. … The Huskies are 6-0 against Houston. … Houston is playing home games this season at H&PE Arena, on the campus of Texas Southern, as its own facility is under renovation. Announced attendance was 2,150, which, according to Houston Chronicle report Joseph Duarte, is the largest crowd for a Houston women's game since 3,283 for a game against TCU in 2004.
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text:
Spoiler myth debunked across over 200 NY races
The results are in, and they are newsworthy.
As much as I knew, by their own account, that I had attracted some conservative voters, the vote results showed substantially greater proportions of my votes coming in conservative strongholds than liberal ones, with a near-perfect correlation. My weakest percentages, by far, came in the most liberal county, Ulster, which also showed, by far, the strongest results for the Democrat, all the way to providing his margin of victory.
Steve Greenfield for Congress
https://stevegreenfieldforcongress.com
Steve Greenfield, GreenfieldForCongress@gmail.com, Phone/Text 845-532-0280
There can be no doubt that some conservatives disliked the Republican incumbent. There is also no doubt that the Democrats did an incredible job over the last 18 months of contacting far more of their members than ever before, contacting them regularly, and impressing upon them the urgency of flipping the district. I have never seen volunteerism among the Democrats to the degree I saw this cycle. But that would only increase their own turnout, rather than decrease mine, which is how it turned out. I polled 50% better than in my 2002 race, and roughly 120% above Green Party enrollment district-wide. But I got from 266% to over 600% above enrollment in the district's most heavily Republican counties.
In my home county of Ulster, where liberals outnumber conservatives by more than 50%, but also where I'm best known, and have attracted all of my votes in prior races for County Legislature and my victories for School Board, and where several Greens in New Paltz and Ellenville have won elections, I got the highest superficial number, but lowest percentage above enrollment of the entire district, at only 39% above enrollment. So the argument that Greens get votes from what liberals perceive as the "next-closest" candidate is not only not sustained, but fully flipped. My votes come from all over the geographic and ideological spectra, and, as a few earlier efforts to research the matter, particularly in Florida after the 2000 Presidential race, had already indicated.
There is no default party for Green voters when no Green is in the race, and based on the most current data set, a more viable case can be made that I got more votes from conservatives, and from people whose policy preferences don't fit neatly into the red-blue divide, than from liberals who could be expected to otherwise turn to a centrist Democrat. There has never been any data demonstrating that Greens draw primarily from liberals, let alone that any meaningful number of our voters would choose the Democrat in our absence, rather than leave a race blank, write someone in, or stay home. Now there is data indicating quite the opposite, and at the very least, no discernible default. The data show margins so wide that nobody could credibly argue they are within a reasonable margin of error for the sample size, and therefore not demonstrative of anything.
But there was an even more noteworthy statistic, repeated over 200 times throughout New York State this past Election Day, which is the one I'd always told people when they barraged me with their spoiler complaints: so far, Greens are not drawing from either habitual major party voting pool. We're drawing from a relatively stable pool of habitual voters who don't vote for major party candidates, and from irregular or non-voters. If you go through all the 2018 elections in New York in which both major parties were represented, and separate into two groups the races that had minor party candidates, and those that did not, you start to notice that in races without minor party candidates, the total for "blank" and "write-in" is around the same percentage as votes for minor candidates, and blank and write-in, all added together in races with minor party candidates. The dark cloud of the scattergram, or the center mass of the bell curve, depending on your plotting preference, runs from a hair below 2% to a hair above 3%. You can check this out for yourself in all Congressional, State Senate, and State Assembly races in New York on this database: https://nyenr.elections.ny.gov/
In the absence of data supporting the traditional liberal concept of "spoiling," which has been absent since its inception in late 2000, this data set goes a long way towards validating my long-standing observation that as much as there are habitual Democrat and Republican voters, who run around 95% consistent, there is also a small percentage of habitual voters who do not choose between Democrats and Republicans, and instead leave some offices blank, vote for minor party candidates, or write someone in, and are probably also 95% consistent in their habit. I had always known this anecdotally because I've personally never missed an election since my first on in 1979, and I think I've voted for major party candidates in any race maybe five times over that entire period, and in all cases but one because they were personal friends of mine. And because I organize outside of the major parties, I've met many others of the same habit. Now we have real numbers. If it weren't a function of habit, including the typical 5-7% variation within habit, the percentages would not be so consistent across over 200 races.
And while under the terms of statistical science, these are not absolute, incontrovertible conclusions, they are strongly substantiated inferences, whereas literally no data substantiation exists in support of the spoiling hypothesis, which remains as much an article of faith, albeit a strongly held one, today as it was in 2000. At the very least, the data shifts the burden of proof to proponents of the spoiling hypothesis. I say "hypothesis" rather than "theory," because scientifically, an idea does not become a theory until it has reached a level of considerable, and repeatably gathered, evidence. The exact opposite is true for the spoiling hypothesis. It has never been conclusively demonstrated. Existing data argue against it.
I look forward to interviews on the subject, particularly with those media outlets that hold and promote the editorial position that spoiling is fact, and that all, or nearly all, Green voters are presumed to default to Democrats in the absence of a balloted Green candidacy in their district.
Thank you, and thanks for covering the campaign.
Steve Greenfield
New Paltz, NY