Our 'team' dropped this ball already.

We need to let it alone.

Our own chief of staff sez we cain't do nuthin' nohow anyways.

Venezuela, Cuba to Team Up on Shipyard


By Associated Press

May 4, 2005, 9:32 PM EDT

CARACAS, Venezuela -- Venezuela and Cuba have agreed to start a joint shipyard in Venezuela, the government said Wednesday, the latest sign of strengthening economic ties between the Latin nations.

The shipyard was among a series of agreements signed between the countries last week during a visit to Havana by President Hugo Chavez, the Infrastructure Ministry said in a statement.

Chavez is an ally and close friend of Cuban leader Fidel Castro. Chavez has repeatedly railed against capitalism and has defied the United States as he strengthens relations with the communist country.

The Cuban government will buy food products such as canned sardines, gelatin, puddings and marmalades, as well as 150 tons of chocolate drinks and 93 tons of condensed milk, the news agency said. Cuba also is to buy work clothes made in Venezuela, including 400,000 pairs of boots.

The shipyard is to be built in the western Venezuelan state of Zulia. It is to be for repairing naval ships and the construction of small navy ships, Infrastructure Minister Ramon Carrizalez Rengifo said in the statement.

Venezuela, meanwhile, announced last week that the 53,000 barrels of oil it began selling to Cuba on preferential terms in 2000 had now risen to up to 90,000 barrels daily.

Cuba agreed to increase the number of its doctors in Venezuela to 30,000 by year's end. It will also help train 40,000 new Venezuelan doctors.

http://www.newsday.com/news/nationworld/wi...world-headlines

I wanna know who voted for intervention.

Curious orange.

I figgered ole flat top.

Wow, a fair deal for the little guys

We used to do stuff like that.

that's so "Old US"

The one that come groovin' up slowly?

Got a mojo filter?

A toe jam football?

That ol' flat top?

Davis...regarding your left pea, er, nut...Howzabout you just make your way on up to Yuba City and I'll tear it off and feed it to you?! Bring a couple of friends too...wouldn't want you feeling "picked on" and it might even up the odds, but only just a tad!

GFY. Toadie.

Biggie says, in the spirit of the lord:
Come on up here and fight!! Come on over with an army!! DUUUUUHHHHHH.... I'll take you all on!! You, your family, the whole forkin state, cause I'm a blowhard jerkwad who threatens people on the net. ooooooohhhhh... now THAT takes balls. I'm soooooo sceeeert.

<moron>

Nice sig, davis.

GB methinks.

Davis...he of the "no clue" view...

HAHAHAHAHA!

Still take yerself way too serious beavis, er, davis!

And those who "know me" here, know good and well I'm making no threats...just a heartfelt invitation!

C'mon up...we'll head to the local Java Retreat, get all caffeinated, and argue up a storm...and then, if you STILL wanna, well, we'll go down to the local hardcore and put on the gloves...I'd love that...keeps you fit and vigorous!

I'm surprised that you find little or no value in a good workout...and cardio, lifting weights, etc., should only be PART of the regimen.

Contact sports help one keep the "edge" that you need if you're ever in a predicament. And remember...nowadays it's just a matter of time before ANYONE winds up in a "predicament."

And ole davis will just do the roll over and wet on his belly trick, hoping to garner "mercy" from the savages wanting to see if he really does have "nuts!"

HEHEHEHEHEHE! PEAnuts!

Perhaps if you would prefer not to be known as a blowhard wannabe bully you stop writing rants such as this:

Big Man, wouldn't the above also be good for women? Are those real or symbolic 'nuts' that one should have and maintain with your truly ancient Greek (and profoundly misogynistic, at least apparently) agonistic mental and physical regimen?

From a 21st century U.S. perspective, the ancient Greek ideal of fierce or effective warriors, learned and active citizens, 'measured in everything' men who have heterosexual sex and have wives and families, but privilege male-to-male friendship, comradeship and physical relations -- sexual, sporting, and war --, and who consider the Persians "effeminate" is truly, and complete 'weird', in the radical cognitive dissocance sense.

I thought it was there before he was here.



Ah, heck. Ever'body knows that's just Biggie.

yippeekayyay! mother farquers!

Oh, I know that Big is just a fun-loving pussycat at heart. He would give you or me or Davis the shirt off his back, etc. If I’m ever out his way, I would very likely make some time to meet him and his crew. Quite likely a hoot in person.

Hoot and a half methinks.

Oh, quit picking on Biggie.

Everyone knows he's got a heart of gold.

Just because his mannerisms are more um, earthy.

Honestly!

Thank you for your support gentlemen.

I can assure bigman that I have had more than my share of run ins with people far more dangerous and hostile than he. I survived. I need no Paul Bunyun tales of wonder to baffle and bewilder the audience.

I just don't care for blustery, machismo BS. The brain tends to go out the window. If I've seen it once I've seen it a hundred times.

Doing it to yourself? OK. That's your choice. You pay the price by yourself. You kick asss or get your asss kicked. YOU pay the price.

But basing national policy on that kind of attitude is about as dumb as it gets.

Ouch. davis, you just can't take biggies comments on face value. And Biggie, quit picking on davis.

(like I can talk)





Exactly, but biggie was always for, um "decisive" victory.

Jut show him one pic of a kid over there, that might just change his mind.

Maybe.

Are you kidding? He's just the fabled 10' tall Paul Bunyun to me. I heard he eats 6 steaks fer an appetizer!! Then he eats supper.

Oh well.

Ahhh, here's the comparison I'm looking for. I like Michael Jordan, Walter Payton and Joe Montana but despise Randy Moss, Michael Irvin and Deon Sanders.

Why?

They are all superb athletes. Tops in their game. But one group sets itself apart from the rest. The others? Weeeell ... blowhards is as good a label as any. Even if you can back it up. I've never liked loud mouth extroverts.

Look at me!! Look at me!!! c'mooonnnn ... looook.

Biggie just needs to see a picture of you in them cute li'l jammies you say you stopped wearing five years back.

I think he is 10 feet tall.

Davis still hasn't figured it out. Oh well, no hope I guess.

I never have had a damned thing against davis. Still don't.

10 feet tall Bee? NAH! 4 feet wide though! 6 feet tall. 6 + 4 = 10!

HAHAHAHAHA!

Davis...not 6 steaks, 6 CHICKEN breasts for the appetizer. We save the steaks for the main course.

All spoof put aside, I was on a weight/strength gain regimen not long back, and at the peak I was taking in somewhere in the range of 8000 to 9000 calories a day. I'll tell you right now, THAT'S work!!

Trimming down again now. Guess I should in order to stay fast enough to dodge davis' slams!

Hey Davis, you forgot a couple...I thoroughly enjoyed Sugar Ray Leonard but could not stand Thomas Hearns.

I liked John Mugabi but couldn't stand Marvin Hagler.

Never liked Muhammed Ali or Mike Tyson either. However, there's not any doubt as to whether any of them were great athletes.

However, simply due to the fact that the way I grew up and where I grew up, you had better have game, and had better be willing to let everyone around you KNOW you have game!

Many have tried and all have failed you say? Then maybe yee'otta stay in your own neck of the woods...I'd hate to ruin your perfect record.

BTW, you tellin' me how things "are" is kinda like a guy doing 48 hours in county for a DUI telling a 25 to lifer he understands how tough prison is!

Didn't say I won every time. But I sure tried to learn from it.



You have no idea what you're talkin' about. I don't tell you jack about my personal life, and I'm not startin' now.

Oh well, end of tall tales.

Whatever little man!

Go git yer li'l red ball and run on home!

BTW, what REALLY makes you think you know even first fargin' thing about ME davis? Some special insight that none of the rest of us have? HAHAHAHAHA!

Davis THE MAGNIFICENT!!

Time and space mean NOTHING to this "8th Wonder" of the world!! He'll keep you spellbound with his demonstrations of....

Well, WE get the hint!

However, you did manage ONE correct guess...I like food!

No... your endless tales, you know the boasting of drinking, carousing and cocaine abuse, not to mention bars, fights, ect, ect, ect. Remember that, dangerman? Your words Paul, not mine. I don't need trumpet my life like you do.

You are a boisterous extrovert.

But I think it suits you.

HAHAHAHAHAHA!

I am indeed an extrovert...

But "boisterous?"

Proof you don't know the first thing about me!

However, I do indeed yanking the chain of so many of you who are so easily dismayed by my statements! And you've got to be the easiest pickin's of em all davis! Why else do you think I'd aim right at you!?!

tsk tsk tsk

Well, with THAT, I'm off to work...can't spend my day chatting with the likes of y'all...there are REAL people HERE to deal with (not aimed at you Bee!!).

I have to go explain to my neighbors why I have the house sandbagged and the pit bulls running loose within my fences! Or do you think maybe the rifle barrels sticking out the windows will tell them everything they need to know?!?

You crack me up Bigggie. Have fun working, I gotta hit it, too. Making maps of lighthouse locations today.

You should see me with my shirt off bee! HEHEHEHE!

Not still waiting for a reciprocal taunt, are you Biggie?

How about this?



TauntTauntTaunt

Good job, Beebers. Now he won't be able to walk.

Bush Predicts Democracy In Cuba
OAS Session Is Focused On U.S.-Venezuela Rift


<snip>


Bush administration policy toward Venezuela has sometimes contradicted its rhetoric on democracy. In 2002, the administration threw its weight behind the political opposition in that country by calling for early -- and unconstitutional -- presidential elections. The administration quickly modified its stance, calling for a referendum, something the constitution does allow. Earlier, the administration raised doubts among some about its commitment to democracy in the region when it quickly and prematurely recognized a short-lived government that ousted Chavez in a coup.

The relationship between the two countries has deteriorated further recently as Chavez has talked about developing nuclear power capabilities with the help of Brazil, Argentina and Iran. Also, Chavez has threatened to sever diplomatic relations with the United States unless it turns over Luis Posada Carriles, a CIA-trained anti-Castro radical who is wanted in Venezuela for retrial on charges that he blew up a Cuban airliner in 1976, killing 73 people. Last week, Bush hosted Maria Corina Machado, a top Venezuelan political activist, at the White House; Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice also met with her Monday on the sidelines of the conference.

The growing tensions between the United States and Venezuela have dominated the session here, with Venezuelan officials and their allies saying a U.S. proposal to bolster the OAS role in monitoring democratic developments is aimed at Venezuela. "The proposal was generic," Venezuela's foreign minister, Ali Rodriguez, told reporters. "But according to the reality in this moment, it seems as if it is aimed against a single country."

Diplomats said the U.S. proposal will be greatly watered down, though some sort of compromise is likely to emerge to address the U.S. suggestion.

The United States had circulated a proposal that called for a "mechanism" to monitor democratic trends, a phrase that a number of countries viewed as an invitation for U.S. meddling. "Democracy cannot be imposed. It is born from dialogue," Brazil's foreign minister, Celso Amorim, told the assembly.

Amorim noted to reporters that for all the United States' concerns, a recall referendum was held in Venezuela last year, watched by international observers, and Chavez won handily.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...5060600185.html

From mushroom cloud Condie:



Well, I'm not going to comment on what President Chavez has said about relations with the United States. We've had good relations with the Venezuelan people for a long, long time and there is nothing that says that we cannot have good relations with Venezuela. It's a matter of what kind of hemisphere we're going to have. Are we going to have a hemisphere in which those who are democratically elected govern democratically? Are we going to have a hemisphere in which people stay out of the affairs of their neighbors and allow democratic processes internally to be truly internal democratic process?


http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/...as/11822113.htm

I do not like the fact that the girl from Alabama is missing

but to have the Sec. of State, Senators and Congressmen from the US calling the prime minister of Aruba set warning signs up my analytical thoughts....

though in keeping with the topic of....
Venezuela...

Tourism is the mainstay of the small, open Aruban economy, with offshore banking and oil refining and storage also important. The rapid growth of the tourism sector over the last decade has resulted in a substantial expansion of other activities. Construction has boomed, with hotel capacity five times the 1985 level. In addition, the reopening of the country's oil refinery in 1993, a major source of employment and foreign exchange earnings, has further spurred growth. Aruba's small labor force and exceptionally low unemployment rate have led to a large number of unfilled job vacancies, despite sharp rises in wage rates in recent years. Tourist arrivals have declined in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks on the US. The government now must deal with a budget deficit and a negative trade balance.

Industries: tourism, transshipment facilities, oil refining

Dependency status:
part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands; full autonomy in internal affairs obtained in 1986 upon separation from the Netherlands Antilles; Dutch Government responsible for defense and foreign affairs

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/aa.html

The government is really on this case. I believe they've had 3 or 4 murders this year. I think that's what I heard.

That's more than the year before.

Yeah, our community gets it fair-share of administratively solved murders....

For example: A body was discovered under the frame of a pre-manufactured home... on a sales lot.... The body was wrapped in a carpet.... It was ruled a suicide.... Apparently, the body's ID came-up as a former released child molester from another state...

Uhhhh ... that's just strange. We had a guy one town over who was shot twice with a shot gun yet they ruled it a suicide.

Some times I just can't stand hearing that sh*t. Child molesters. Or you get those little thugs who think they're soooo bad because they can rob an 80 year old woman. Then they pistol whip them or something. Makes my blood boil.

That is one thing that seperates me from the true liberals, I definitely believe in capital punishment. Murderers, rapists, child molesters ... IF they are proven guilty, I mean no doubt, no possibility of a mistake or even frame up (you know, Dahmer, Gacy, Manson, ect no doubts). POW. Remove them from the gene pool.

Venezuela's Chavez blames Bush for Bolivia crisis

Sun Jun 12, 2005 06:36 PM ET


By Pascal Fletcher

CARACAS, Venezuela (Reuters) - Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez blamed President Bush on Sunday for Bolivia's crisis and said Bush's "poisoned medicine" of free-market democracy was being rejected by Latin America.

The left-wing Venezuelan leader said the protests that shook the Andean nation this week were triggered by popular opposition to capitalist free-trade policies advocated by Bush.

Chavez condemned as "poisoned medicine" a speech given by Bush to the Organization of American States last week in which he recommended a mix of representative democracy, integration of world markets and individual freedoms.

"That is what is killing the peoples of Latin America. ... This is the path of destabilization, of violence, of war between brothers," Chavez said, speaking on his "Hello President" weekly television and radio show.

The Venezuelan leader is a fierce critic of U.S. policies although his country, the world's No. 5 oil exporter, sells billions of dollars worth of oil to the United States each year.

Chavez rejected charges by some U.S. officials that he and Cuban President Fidel Castro were directing the Bolivian miners, rural peasants and labor groups who are demanding the nationalization of their country's rich gas resources.

"What's the cause? Is Fidel? Is it Chavez? No, Bush is the cause ... and what he represents," he said.

Addressing Bush in broken English and calling him "Mr. Danger," he added, "We, the people of Latin America are saying 'No Sir, Mr. Danger,' your poisoned medicine has failed."

Chavez welcomed signs the Bolivia protests were easing following the inauguration as president on Thursday of Eduardo Rodriguez. He replaced Carlos Mesa who resigned.

Chavez, a firebrand nationalist first elected in 1998, says free-market economic policies have increased not reduced poverty in Latin America. He proposes as an alternative his self-styled "revolution" in Venezuela, which channels oil income into health, education and job training for the poor.

He spoke while inaugurating one of 600 new medical treatment centers which his government was opening with help from Communist Cuba.


During his program lasting more than seven hours, Chavez received a phone call from Castro, which was broadcast live.

The two leaders mocked U.S. accusations that they had created an anti-U.S. alliance to destabilize Latin America and that it was being financed by Venezuela's oil income.

"You're the malevolent genius and I'm the rich financier of revolutions, what do you think?" Chavez told Castro.

"Well, it's marvelous," the Cuban leader replied.

Venezuela ships up to 90,000 barrels per day of oil to Cuba and more than 20,000 Cuban doctors, dentists, teachers and technicians, including sugar experts, are working in the South American oil exporter under a broad cooperation program.

The United States has criticized Chavez's close alliance with Castro, a longtime foe of Washington, and says it fears his rule in Venezuela is becoming increasingly authoritarian.

http://www.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?t...23&pageNumber=0

Chávez Ousts U.S. Diplomat on Spying Charge

By JUAN FORERO
Published: February 3, 2006

BOGOTÁ, Colombia, Feb. 2 — President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela announced Thursday that his government had ordered the expulsion of the American naval attaché at the United States Embassy in Caracas for spying, further increasing tensions with the Bush administration.

Speaking on the seventh anniversary of his ascension to power, Mr. Chávez also warned that he would order the detention and removal of any other American military officials caught spying. "If accredited military officials continue with the espionage, we will imprison them, we will order them thrown out," Mr. Chávez said.

The embassy denied the accusations against the attaché, John Correa, and other high-ranking military officers. "None of the military attachés in Caracas was or is involved in inappropriate activities," Salomé Hernández, a spokeswoman in the embassy, said by phone from Caracas.

Mr. Chávez's comments came on the same day that senior Bush administration officials, who have been relatively silent after weeks of constant verbal volleys by the Venezuelan leader, harshly criticized his governing style. Warning that Mr. Chávez is consolidating power at the expense of democracy, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld went so far as to compare Mr. Chávez to Hitler. "He's a person who was elected legally just as Adolf Hitler was elected legally and then consolidated power and now is, of course, working with Fidel Castro and Mr. Morales and others," Mr. Rumsfeld said, referring to the Cuban leader and the new president of Bolivia, Evo Morales. "It concerns me."

In testimony on Thursday before the Senate Intelligence Committee, John D. Negroponte, director of national intelligence, said Mr. Chávez "appears ready to use his control of the legislature and other institutions to continue to stifle the opposition, to reduce press freedom, and entrench himself through measures that are technically legal, but which nonetheless constrict democracy."



This paragraph could apply to Bush and the Republican party. And that is true whether you like or not.


http://www.nytimes.com/2006/02/03/internat...2134d63&ei=5070

Chavez: U.S. Oil Exports Could End

CARACAS, Venezuela, Feb. 17, 2006
In this handout photo released by Venezuela's Miraflores Press, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez speaks from Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas, Venezuela, Friday, Feb. 17, 2006, where he warned that he could cut off oil exports to the United States if Washington continues trying to destabilize his left-leaning government. (AP)


(AP) Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez warned on Friday that he could cut off oil exports to the United States if Washington continues trying to destabilize his left-leaning government.

Chavez statements came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said that the Venezuelan government posed "one of the biggest problems" in the region and that its ties to Cuba were "particularly dangerous" to democracy in Latin America.

"The government of the United States should know that if they go over the line, they are not going to have Venezuelan oil," said Chavez, a self-styled "revolutionary" and close ally of Cuban leader Fidel Castro.

"I have already taken measures regarding this. I'm not going to say what because they think that I can't take these measures because we would not have any place to send the oil. They are mistaken," he added.

Speaking to government supporters at the presidential palace, Chavez said "many countries ask us for more oil and we have had to tell many countries we can't send them more" because Venezuela — the world's fifth largest oil exporter — ships 1.5 million barrels of oil a day to the United States.

Relations between Chavez and the administration of U.S. President George W. Bush hit new lows in recent days after Washington expelled a high-ranking Venezuelan diplomat in response to Chavez booting out a U.S. embassy official for alleged spying.

Chavez, a fierce Washington critic, accuses the U.S. government of repeatedly trying to discredit his government and orchestrate his ouster. American officials deny those charges but accuse him of authoritarian tendencies and threatening democracies in the region.

Chavez, who frequently refers to Bush as "Mr. Danger," said U.S. officials would fail in their attempts to turn Latin American nations against Venezuela.

"You create your front Mr. Danger, we will create ours," Chavez said. "We are going to defeat the empire."

On Thursday, Rice told the House Foreign Relations Committee that Chavez posed a threat to democracy in Latin America and criticized Venezuela's increasingly close relationship with communist-led Cuba.

"The Chavez government is attempting to influence Venezuela's neighbors away from democratic processes," Rice said, adding that the country's close ties to Cuba were "particularly dangerous" for regional stability.

Chavez said Rice's statements "constitute a threat," and formed part of an alleged effort aimed at creating chaos and political upheaval in this oil-rich yet poor South American nation ahead of presidential elections in December.

Several opposition parties have announced they will boycott the vote if the National Assembly, which is completely controlled by a coalition of pro-government parties, do not appoint an unbiased elections council that would permit a manual vote count.

Opposition leaders accused the National Electoral Council of being pro-Chavez, and have repeatedly raised concerns about voter registration and touchscreen voting machines.

Chavez, who was elected to a six-year term in 2000, has vowed to win the next election and govern Venezuela until 2013 — or longer.

Opponents accuse Chavez of becoming increasingly authoritarian, stoking class divisions and permitting political discrimination against Venezuelans who signed a petition for a presidential recall referendum that Chavez handily defeated in 2004.


http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006/02/17/...in1329995.shtml