Saturday, August 18 (sabado 18 de agosto

Computer Problems

I certainly meant to have my next post up some time ago. But, over the past several days, most of my time has been spent trying to figure out why Internet Explorer would not function correctly on my computer. Multiple phone calls to internet providers, The Geek Squad at Best Buy where I purchased the computer and Toshiba Technical Support yielded nothing positive.

Everyone had their theory, none seemed to work. Yesterday, using some software called Internet History Eraser, I cleaned my hard drive and waa laa, problem solved. I assume I picked up some kind of virus somewhere. So, hopefully I can be more regular with this blog from this point on.

I have been keeping a close eye on Hurricane Dean the past couple of days. It looks like Sosua and the north coast is going to 'dodge another bullet.' This severe Category 4 hurricane is going to pass to the south and west of the island. I wonder if Sosua is getting tropical rain from the outer bands. Amazing how every hurricane it seems, follows that ally and and spares the north coast.

Like the last several hurricanes following this path, there is a hurricane warning for the south coast from Barahona west to the Dominican/Haitian border and all along the southwestern coastline of Haiti. Haiti, I have a feeling, will suffer many fatalities again from the wind, rain and mudslides.

The latest report indicates that the southern portions of the island are being battered by the outer fringes of Dean.

The best site I have found to keep up to date with hurricanes in the Carribean is: http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/ .

My thoughts are with my friends who live much further south on the tiny island of Dominica. Dominica is located in the Lesser Antilles between Martinique and Guadaloupe. What a beautiful island that is.

Like the north coast of the DR, Dominica has a long history of remaining out of the eye of storms in el Caribe. This time their luck did not hold. Most of the news has been about the damage on Martinique, but, I am reading that they took a hard hit as well.

Dominica is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

Monchy and Alexandra are among the most popular Bachata artists in the Dominican Republic.

Monchy (real name: Ramon Rijo) and Alexandra (real name: Alexandra Cabrera de la Cruz) have been singing together as a group for more than five years. They have had several major hits, including La Otra (2007), No Es Una Novela (2006), Perdidos, Hasta El Fin, Yo Sin Ti Y Tu Sin Mi, No Me Pidas (2004), Polos Opuestos (2003), Te Quiero Igual Como Ayer, Dos Locos, Cuando No Se Puede Olvidar (2002), Pasion, Llorando Penas (2001) and Hoja En Blanco (1999).

Ramon Rijo (Monchy) was born September 19, 1977. From an early age, he studied piano, guitar and singing. Alexandra Cabrera was born October 19, 1978 in Santo Domingo. She attended a university in 1998, but her studies were put on hold when the opportunity arose to audition with Monchy. Alexandra won the audition and the duo, Monchy and Alexandra, was born.

They have sold over 500,000 albums worldwide and have been recognized by some of the most prestigious organizations in the music business. Their albums include Hoja En Blanco (1999), Unplugged (2000), Confesiones (2002), The Mix (2003) and Hasta El Fin (2004). Their Greatest Hits album (Exitos and Mas) was released in 2006.

Congratulations to my buddy, Dr. Bruce Wallerstein for recently becoming a Dominican citizen. Bruce has been going through the process for quite some time and finally has achieved his goal.

My question to Bruce is, "Now that you are a real Dominican, are you going to tell me your mother, your sister, your cousin or your grandfather are sick and then ask me for money every time we talk?

Mt. Isabel

Mt. Isabel de Torres is a landmark that all of us who live or visit the north coast are accustomed to looking at. When we go to the beach, it is how we can tell if it is a crystal clear day or if there is a haze in the air.


Puerto Plata nestles at the foot of the majestic peak (pico).


I have never ridden the cable car (teleferico) up the nearly vertical slope to the summit. I can tell you that I won't either. The mere thought of hanging from a cable overhead is frightening enough to me. But, I am told that it is a 7-minute ascent to the top.


The trip affords spectacular views of the ocean and Puerto Plata below. At the summit there is a restaurant, a botanical garden and a statue of Christ similar to the one found in Rio de Janerio.


You can watch a video of the experience at:
http://www.dr-tourist.tv/pages/videopages/teleferico.html.

Barbara Morir - 29 year old actress from Uruguay

Link For The Day - http://www.askmen.com

AskMen.Com is one of my favorite sites, especially these days. It is an online magazine for men that has 5 million readers each week. The site features a plethora of information about all sorts of information of interest to men. There are sections devoted to fashion, dating and love, sexuality, entertainment, health and sports, cars, life and living to mention just a few.

When you check the site out, look on the left side for the button that says 'Babe Tournament.' Click that button and you will be taken to a 32-woman Latin Babe Tournament being held right now. Each round lasts for one week and viewers select the winners. Sadly you have missed the first round but can get in on the rest of it. The one Dominican entry, Miss Universe, Amelia Vega is still in it.

Melky Cabrera (Santo Domingo) - OF - Las Aguilas

What teams are all those guys that played for the Dominican Winter League Champion and Caribbean World Series Champions Las Aguilas de Cibaneas playing for this summer? Let's check some of them out.

Melky Cabrera has become the regular center fielder for the New York Yankees, moving Johnny Damon to left field. Cabrera is hitting .297 with 8 home runs, 52 RBIs and 10 stolen bases. I suspect that as soon as he gets his first big contract with the Yankees, we won't be seeing him in the winter anymore.

Jose Arredondo (San Pedro de Macoris) - Pitcher - Las Aguilas

Jose Arredondo plays in the Los Angeles Angels' organization. The 23-year old prospect is on the Angels 40-man roster and was recently listed as one of the Angels' top 20 prospects. Jose is currently pitching in the Angels' Advanced Class A League for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.

He started the year in AA for the Arkansas Travelers. Arredondo is currently 2-4 with a 6.30 ERA, has 4 saves and 28 strike outs.

Bernie Castro (Villa Vasquez) - 2B - Las Aguilas

The 28-year old winner of the Dominican Winter League Batting Title last year is in the Washington Nationals' organization. Castro is playing for their AAA club, the Columbus Clippers. Bernie is hitting .286, has no home runs, 26 RBIs and is their regular second baseman.

Edwin Encarnacion (La Romana) - 3B - Las Aguilas

The 24-year old Encarnacion is the regular third baseman with the Cincinnati Reds. He currently is hitting .264, has 8 home runs and 48 RBIs.

Hector Luna (Montechristi) - IF - Las Aguilas

Luna played with Las Aguilas during the first part of the winter season. He is of interest to me because he played for several years with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cardinals traded him to Cleveland last year for Ronnie Belliard.

This year he has been all over the place. He started the season in the Major Leagues with Cleveland, but was demoted to their AAA team, the Buffalo Bisons. The Cleveland organization released him in July, he was picked up by the Toronto Blue Jays and was again in the Major Leagues with them. Just recently he was sent down to the Blue Jays' AAA team, the Syracuse Chiefs. He remains on Toronto's 40-Man Roster.

We staged a pre-emptive invasion of Iraq to stop the tyrant Saddam Hussein because he had a country full of weapons of mass destruction right?

Aaaaah No....Wrong! It's all about the Big Oil companies. Texas is Big Oil. The older George Bush has made billions in the oil business especially with the Saudis. Young George is all about oil. Dick Cheney, before winning the title as the most hated man in America, was the CEO of Halliburton Oil.

Ask yourself this question. What was the only government ministry in Baghdad that the American soldiers protected from being looted after Sadaam was run out of town? If you guessed the Oil Ministry, you would be correct.

All along, like everything else in this country right now, it is about the rich getting richer.

All the specifics about the oil/greed invasion and 100s of other disturbing facts are contained in the new book, 'Armed Madhouse: From Baghdad to New Orleans - Sordid Secrets and Strange Tales of a White House Gone Wild.' This book, a New York Times Bestseller, was written by Greg Palast, an Investigative Journalist who is an American, but works for the BBC.

You might also check out his website: http://www.gregpalast.com.

That number listed above in RED is the current budget deficit. Thats trillion: 8 trillion, 970 billion, 756 million, 958 thousand, 325 thousand and change.

$127 Billion - U.S. Budget surplus in 2001 when Bush became president.

Think of all the good we could have done with that money!

Some Spanish Phrases

Esta Bien ..... That's Okay

Gracias A Dios ..... Thank God

!Callate! ..... Shut Up!

?De Verdad? ..... Really?

Exactamente ..... Exactly

Claro ..... Of Course

En Serio ..... I'm Not Kidding

No Importa ..... It Doesn't Matter

Buena Suerta ..... Good Luck

Peor Para Ti ..... Too Bad For You

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Friday, August 10 (viernes 10 de agosto)

Back To Blogging

This is my first post since February 25. Much has changed. I am now alive and well, living in Columbia, Missouri USA. The desire to write and post has returned. So it is time to get started again.


It will be somewhat different posting a primarily Dominican-related blog from up here. I think it will require a different approach. I look forward to sitting down to write and we will see where the posts lead me.

Much has changed in my life since returning to the states from my home away from home in Sosua. I am in my 5th month away from the island. After spending 5 months in Sosua last winter, I returned home in early April.

I have spent most of the past 4 years in the Caribbean, first in Puerto Rico, then on the island of Dominica and finally in Sosua for the past 2+ years.

I felt burned out, like my Caribbean adventure had reached the 'been there done that' point. The lure of no electrical problems, of not having to carry my water in, of not having Dominican friends stop by for conversations that invariably led into asking for something, convinced me it was time to come home for an extended period of time.

I felt the need to help my brother look after my aging mother, of being in better contact with my four grown children who are nevertheless spread far and wide and of living down the road from my brother, who is my best friend in the world.

I felt the desire to have more choices to shop for, a car to drive, sporting events to attend and other good things about being a gringo in gringoland. I told myself; maybe after a year or two I will regain the desire to live among the palm trees and the noise of the motos again.

I am doing all those things and the time here has been wonderful so far. The objectives I set for myself are being met and I love the quiet days and evenings, the peaceful solitude.

But, seemingly right on cue after being in one place for five or six months, the restless feeling has returned. A desire to go back to Sosua or perhaps try some other location in the DR has crept into my consciousness. I welcome this feeling very much. It tells me a lot about myself.

Will It Be This?

As I sit here enduring the 'dog days' of August in Missouri, I am beginning to think of winter around the corner. I have not done a Missouri winter in four years and truthfully the thought of it is a bit intimidating. The cold, gray, cloud-covered sky with intermittent ice and snow storms and with darkness arriving by 5 pm each day are giving me pause for thought. Do I want to experience this again? Or do I want to board a plane and get the hell 'out of Dodge?'

Or This?

I do miss my many friends down there. So, as of today, no decisions have been made, but daily thought is being devoted to the decision.

In the meantime, I have also felt a desire to get busy with this blogsite.

Totally surprising to me was the fact that as time passed, I somehow gathered many faithful readers. When my posts became less and less frequent and then trailed off altogether, several wrote very nice emails urging me to continue. I hope I am able to get the word around and they will return.

Home!

Posting from here in Missouri will, it seems to me, require a somewhat different approach. Lately I have been jotting notes as to some of the topics I would like to cover and how I want to cover them.

This blog has always been heavy on photos and will continue to be that way. The difference will be that instead of using almost solely photos that I had taken myself, I will now rely, al least somewhat, on other people's photos and images taken off the internet.

The majority of the information I plan to post will concern the Dominican Republic. But, there are other topics that are near and of concern to me that I will include as well.

I would like to write about Dominican north coast and Sosua news, about other areas on the island perhaps worthy of a visit, about expatriate life in the Dominican Republic, about some of the things I have learned concerning the Latin culture in the DR, about things to see and do and just Dominican general information that is of interest to me.

Albert Pujols

Two of my loves in life are Latin music and baseball. So, I plan to write about them both. The Major League Baseball season will soon be entering it's final month and the pennant races are exciting. My St. Louis Cardinals, (THE DEFENDING WORLD CHAMPIONS), are having a rare 'down' year, but somehow are still in the race to the playoffs. Following the Redbirds this summer has been a true test of those of us in 'Cardinal Nation.'

Also let's not forget about the Caribbean World Series Champion and Dominican Winter League Champion Las Aguilas de Cibaneas. Where are those guys today? Who are they playing for? How are they doing?

Monchy y Alexandra

My home is filled with the sounds of Bachata and Latin Pop music each day. I do love the heat and the beat of Latin music. Music plays such an integral part in the lives of those on the island who are paralyzed with poverty and have no way out. I want to learn more about the various artists who sing such beautiful songs and so will include that information on a steady basis.

Ocean World In Cofresi

There are many special things to do and see on or near the north coast. Perhaps some research will inspire me to visit new places and see new things.

Playa Vicini in Juan Dolio

In the 2+ years I lived on the island, I rarely ventured beyond the Puerto Plata to Cabarete corridor. Perhaps this is why I began to lose interest in being there. I am told the island is beautiful and diverse. When I return, a priority will be to branch out, go more places and see more of the island.

I have never had a car when living in Sosua. I made up my mind the other day, I am not returning until I have some decent mode of transportation. I really do not have the desire to buy a car just yet. Instead, I am in the process of looking for someone or someplace that would have a car for long-term rental (several months). If you read this and have an idea or know of someone please write to me (prbeachbum@hotmail.com).

I am not going to limit the blog to information about the Dominican Republic. There are more important things to write about.

I am a very concerned American. Slowly this country has awakened to the incompetence and corruption of the Bush / Cheney / Rove / Gonzalez / Rumsfeld/ Neoconservative Administration. I am an avid reader and have read upwards of 30 books concerning the effects they have had upon this country during the past 6 1/2 years.

Part of the blog will serve as an outlet for me to write about the terrible war we started and are mired in, the senseless loss of young American lives and thousands upon thousands of Iraqi lives, of the loss of our civil liberties through Bush and Cheney's Patriot Act, of the steady evolving of this country into a two-class society, of the movement from a democratic nation to a corporate-controlled capitalistic society ruled at our expense by the 'haves and have mores,' of corporate-controlled news media outlets that cherry-pick the news and eliminate anything that their corporate masters don't want the people to hear about. Millions of us have found unbiased news outlets that tell the truth about what is happening because Fox, CNN and the networks are unwilling to print and broadcast real and accurate news.

I am disturbed by the loss of respect of this country from virtually the entire rest of the world. If you are a citizen of another country and have a low opinion of the United States, I don't blame you and you should just be thankful you do not have to live with all this garbage happening around you.

There are still many wonderful things about this country, but there is also true cause for concern. I wish more and more of the citizens would finally wake up, read up, stand up and get involved. Thankfully the polls show that 73% of the American public are also very angry about where our politicians have taken us.

Go See Sicko!

If you are an American and you are reading this and you have not seen Michael Moore's film 'Sicko,' shame on you. The health care system in this country is a sham. There are more than 50 million Americans without health insurance and many of those who do have it find that it is no good when they need it most.

Do not assume because you have health insurance that they will take care of you when catastrophe happens. Companies like Blue Cross Blue Shield and Cigna employ departments whose sole job is to pore through your policies to find pre-existing conditions and other ways to deny your coverage when you apply for it.

The United States is the only country in the Industrialized First World without Universal Health Care coverage and that is a travesty.

GO SEE SICKO! Michael Moore has brought the subject back to the forefront where it belongs.

I want to devote some space to recommending books and DVDs that I have enjoyed reading or viewing.

http://www.askmen.com

Sharing links is fun also. In the next blog, I will write about the above link. If you guys are partial to Latin women as I am, you will enjoy participating in a 'special election' currently being held there.

Acrobatic Squirrel At My Bird Feeder

There is not a whole lot of interesting news to report from Central Missouri, but nevertheless, when I can think of something worthy to talk about, I will include it.

Top 5 Reasons Why I Miss The Dominican Republic
5 I am hungry for lunch at Susannah's.
4. I want to go sit in the shade and watch all the pretty girls walk by.
3. I want to feel the sand under my toes as I look out at the sea.
2. I feel younger when I am there.
1. I miss my friends.

I love lists and plan to include them in all sorts of hopefully creative ways.

My two sons, John on the left and Matt on the right.
Matt is holding his nephew and John's son Tristan.

I have four kids and collectively they hate it when I talk about them and post their pictures on this site, but I am proud of them and concerned about their lives. So I will probably sneak in some little bits about Michelle, John, Rachel and Matthew.

Right now, my main concern is Matt. Matt is a 21-year old Air Force soldier stationed at Ramstein Air Force Base in Germany. I often think, how can one of the most anti-Iraq War persons living in this country have a son who is eligible to deploy to Iraq or Afghanistan this coming January. Believe me we have some spirited conversations.

Matt is currently home on leave until the end of the month. The picture above is one I took of him, his big brother John and John's son Tristan yesterday when they came to visit.

As a veteran from the 'Viet Nam Era,' I know that if he goes, and it looks like he will, to Iraq, he will return a different person. His bravado and lust for adventure will most likely be replaced with a head full of lasting memories about danger and death. But, as hard as I tried to prevent him from enlisting, I now totally support him in my own way. I'll just be glad when the next 2+ years are over and he comes home to the rest of his life here safe and sound.

Renato and Friends!

My friend Renato is doing a wonderful job of providing the members of the Yahoo Group Sosuadominicanrepublic with daily Spanish lessons. You are doing a great service Renato. I am not going to try and compete with him, but like most of us who spend time in the Dominican Republic, I am always trying to improve my ability to communicate and understand the language of the island. I think I will restrict my Spanish language entries to vocabulary. Hopefully, it will help me continue to learn new words and the readers as well.

Soooooo.....that is the plan. I will try to get my next entry up in the next two or three days.

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