A “RING” IS A “HOOP” –IN ENGLISH AND SPANISH
A basketball hoop in Spanish is, “aro de baloncesto” The word, “aro” means “hoop” or “ring.”
Senator Ted Cruz is being lambasted for describing a basketball “hoop” as a “ring.” His only “error” therein is word choice. We Americans are so unilnguistic that we are unforgiving if the sound of a word reaching our eardrums is slightly off-kilter. In this case, it caused us to become unhinged.
Despite the fact that Senator Marco Rubio derisively has said that Cruz “doesn’t even speak Spanish,” it is unreasonable to suppose that Cruz is not bilingual. Contrary to his usual, disdain for silly sleights, Cruz immediately and pitifully responded, on the spot, to Rubio’s obviously false dig at Cruz’s ethnic pride: “¿Quieres que te conteste en español, ahora mismo?” (Do you want me to answer you in Spanish right now?)
Most bilingual people would recognize Rubio’s intention: to shame Cruz for not being as fluent in both languages as is Rubio himself. Rubio grew up with two, Spanish-speaking, immigrant parents. By the time he went to school, he was fully fluent in Spanish and presumably English. Cruz father is a Spanish-speaking immigrant; his mother, presumably, is an English-speaking American. With English dominant in Canada (his birthplace) and the U.S., it is likely that Cruz understands his father’s Spanish perfectly, but is not quite confident in speaking it himself.
Nevertheless, it is obvious that – just as with anyone else who speaks more than one language – words of similar meaning in another language can sometimes become confused while speaking. Cruz is obviously aware of this, and could explain the “ring” thing as due to its linguistic versatility. Instead, it appears he would rather take the kidding than call attention to his “otherness,” which he may consider a worse danger to his political ambition.
This defense of Ted Cruz has nothing to do with my political feelings. As a matter of fact, I fully endorse John Boehner’s description of Cruz: “Lucifer in the flesh.” Might that translate to, “Cruzifer?”
***** ***** *****
One day, Ted Cruz slipped on a ring.
The hoop failed to make our boy sing.
The folks wondered why
Ted Cruz did not cry.
He knew that they were the same thing!
DUBYA STUMPS ALL-OUT FOR JEB!
The political re-emergence of former President George W. Bush is imminent. He will be sallying forth in defense of his beleaguered, Republican candidate brother, Jeb Bush, a former governor of the State of Florida. Taking into account the former president’s sometimes-contested record with regard to domestic and international affairs, it could be interesting to suppose what he might say in South Carolina:
Hi y’all!
It’s been a month o’ Sundays since Ah’ve been out heah. Ah always feel rejuvenated heah in the mild climate of the Palmetto State. As y’all know, Ah was the governor of Texas for eight years. There was a time when Texas and South Carolina were partners in a great military undertaking to... (Aside: What ya say? Oh, yeah, you’re right; I better skip that one.) But, then, I digress.
Except for some retirement-easing speeches, Ah have pretty much avoided the limelight since ah left Washington. With my deah Laura, generally Ah have been living the life of a quiet squire. As y’all probably know, Ah even paint a little (he-he). Now, don’t y’all go gettin’ the wrong idea; graphic art is a well-developed trait of the human condition, and in no way is it considered gender-specific. (He-he Betcha didn’t know Ah was in-tel-LEC-chu-al) Over 40,000 years ago, cave-art appeared in what is now Europe, about the time of our intersection with the Neanderthals. (Maybe that explains me...) Any way, just 'cause ya paints, ya ain’t no fag!
Speakin’ o’ fags, I’m here to help out m’ baby-brotha Jeb – just kiddin’! Actually, we were old-family, New England transplants there in Texas. Ah was the only one to go native (he-he). Jeb was considered the smarty-pants, and he was the one they groomed for the presidency. But, when they got a load of how Ah kicked the ass of that alcoholic, bull-dagger governor Ann Richards (silver-foot in mah mouth, mah ass!) ol’ Jeb was off the table. Anyhow, in those less-evolved days, his Mexican wife and children – my daddy used to call them the brown ones – most likely would have caused a problem. (Remember John McCain’s similar experience right here n this beautiful state?) Anyhow, Ah’m heah t’ do what Ah can for m’ little ol’ bro’.
First off, this ain’t about me. Ah ‘m already in the history books -- f’ good or f’ whatever – go visit me there. This is about J-E-B – exclamation point! So, Ah was sailin’ along just nicely, thank ya, thinking’ on how I was gonna get back in there and kick that raghead Saddam’s ass for threatenin’ mah daddhy. In a way, mah daddy invited it; instead of stoppin’; at the border, he shoulda kept on and got rid of that camel jocky once and for all. There I was, with all the time in the world, readin’ books gto kids in the classroom. They talk about my delay in respondin’ to the tower attacks. That was strategy. Ah had to figure a way to change m’ drawers before facin’ the cameras.
Dick Cheney bless his heart; if ah hadn’t chosen the right vice president (actually, he chose himself), I never would have caught ol’ Osama Bin Laden. (Aside: What? Oh, yeah; Ah keep getting them ragheads mixed up.) Anyhow, if we hadn’t had all those Neocons there, to beat the drums and release the dogs of war, we never would have been able to kick them merderin’ Sunnis out of Iraq and turmed that dubious country over to the peace-lovin’ Shias.
They made a big deal about me flyin’ over the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. If Ah’d known the levies wouldn’t’ hold, Ah probably wouldn’t have gone to California. Ah sent ol’ Brownie ahead, and by the time Ah got there, Ah still thought he was doin’ a good job. They did come up with enough lights for me to make a speech at Jackson Square. Now, there was a patriot! Problem was, he was still fightin’ the Battle of New Orleans when the peace conference was convened. It was a pity all them slaves who helped him win the battle had to go back to their masters after the war was over. Anyway, that chocolate mayor and worthless skirt of a governor shoulda got the people outta there long before the place was flooded! And, Conhye West did’nt know what the fuck he was talkikn’ about!
Oh, yeah, as far as those bank failures were concerned, Ah wouldda been outta there in just a few months. If Dodd-Fag... – Ah mean, Dodd-Frank hadn’t encouraged them to sell houses to every Tom, Dick and Allice – with no property or down payment – they never woudda gotten into that mess. Ain;t it funny; even though Ah didn’t get out in time, they still blame it on Obama – and refuse to give him credit for fixin’ the mess and tight’nin’ up the economy for the remainder of his two terms. After Romnehy failed to pull it out, Ah was sure Limbaugh was gonna off himself. He was the one who wished ill to the Halfrican from the git-go.
In closin’, Ah’d like to say Ah’m just as proud as a peach to be here with y’all and reveal some of the most intimate moments of my presidency... (Aside: Huh? Oh, yeah, Ah forgot.) Listen,
No matter what that loudmouth Trump says, mah brother Jeb don’t pee sittin’ down!
Bye, y’all!
***** ***** *****
One ex-prez never should appear,
Nor eat pretzels while drinking beer.
He should send a note,
With a pithy quote:
“”Kilroy was, but I wasn’t here!”
CUBA’S WORLD-CLASS MEDICINE vis-à-vis MIAMI’S TIRESOME CHAGRIN
The governments of the U.S. and Cuba currently are in the process of re-establishing diplomatic relations. Concurrently, they also are following steps to bring to the U.S. a Cuban-developed, therapeutic vaccine against lung cancer.
What a world of difference! In 2005, during the horrendous aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. rejected Cuba's generous offer to send a cadre of its well-trained doctors to assist in the crisis. That magnanimous offer was declined mainly because of the political clout of embittered, expatriate Cubans in the U.S. This faction -- currently having its water carried by two aspirants to the U.S. presidency, both of Cuban heritage – has grown progressively bitter with the passage of time. They lament the loss of their upper class, White privilege in a Cuba that practiced racial discrimination; tolerated rampant illiteracy; and a sub-standard economy; and a gross lack of healthcare for the great unwashed. Overseeing this social devastation was a dictator who was interested only in accommodating the gambling, night club and prostitution promotors from the U.S., with special emphasis on Hollywood.
An interesting irony is the state of those social bugaboos listed above: Since the revolution: racial discrimination immediately was eliminated; Cuba as one of the highest literacy rates in the world; Cuba is competitive as regards the numbers of doctors per capita. One big problem that remains is the stringent, U.S.-imposed depression of the Cuban economy! Why would a colossal nation like the U.S. keep its boot upon a powerless island in the Caribbean for more than half a century – after that island had unseated a dictator and so radically bettered the living conditions of its people? The excuse is that they refused to live up to our standards. If that were true, we would administer the same treatment to Saudi Arabia and other Middle East potentates; the new-czarist Russia; and the still-Communist China – for starters. The real reason takes us back to Square One: Miami – and its now-dwindling political potency.
Cuba's role in the field of medicine is legend. It produces doctors as easily as the U.S. produces prisoners. Without favor or fee, Cuba has dispatched its skillful physicians throughout the world, to meet all kinds of emergencies.
Cuba has one of the largest medical schools in the world. Its Escuela latinoamericana de medicina (ELAM) welcomes students from all over the world, including the U.S. The six-year course at Hospital Salvador Allende is taught in Spanish. The training encompasses a holistic regime that includes not only the body, but all environmental factors. It emphasizes group responsibility, with no regard to the national provenance of the student. They are grouped in small cells for teaching, studying and examination. Those who are stronger are required to bring along the others.
The Cuban government provides most of the scholarships. The only stipulation is that graduates return home and practice their craft in underserved sectors of the community. As of 2014, ELAM had graduated 23,000 students from more than 120 countries, since 2005.
Even with a lessening of the Florida-based, anti-Castro political pressure, President Obama is bold to break both Republican and Democratic tradition by singlehandedly re-establishing diplomatic relations with Cuba. Trade relations is the province of the U.S. congress. Breaking down a wall of distrust between us and a neighbor just 90 miles off our coast can bode only good for all involved.
As a cultural, political and temporal reminder: Elián González is 21 years of age!
Anonymous - official list alleging KKK involvement.
"We need to make room for important, blunt, honest, public, productive conversation. Violent bigotry IS a problem in the United States. This is not a colorblind society," Anonymous' #OpKKK organizers wrote in an official statement. "Part of the reason we have taken the hoods off of these individuals is not because of their identities, but because of what their hoods symbolize to us in our broader society."
- Anonymous
Members of Anonymous behind #OpKKK, say the names released today have been thoroughly vetted and independently verified. In an encrypted chat session, the Anonymous member explained that KKK members were identified via IP addresses that were obtained by hacking several official KKK websites.
Through geolocation, each IP address has been tied to an individual computer, which has a home address and a name affiliated with that address. Anonymous has also tied social media accounts to each of these IP addresses, some of which have left significant social media footprints. The Anonymous member said the IP addresses are verified, as a masked IP address is easily differentiated from an actual IP address — this means the individuals listed are real, active, participating members of the KKK and affiliated racist groups, according to Anonymous. Anonymous also obtained communication records of members by dumping the contents of KKK forum discussions and direct messages via social media.