On 12/18/2014 11:56 AM, nestork wrote:
I believe that:

1. The US government and the US people all realize that trade sanctions
against Cuba haven't worked to bring about a change in leadership, and
probably never will.

2. The Cuban government and the Cuban people all realize that the
communist system put in place by Castro hasn't created a better life for
the Cuban people as it was intended to, and probably never will.

I expect that the communist system in Cuba will follow much the same
path as that of China where the government remains officially communist,
but the economy is purely capitalist and everyone is free to do as they
please to fill their own rice bowl with as much rice as they can.

I can see a powerful economic partnership developing between the USA and
Cuba. Cubans, getting paid $2 $US per month, can produce as high
quality goods in US owned factories as Chinese workers getting paid $20
$US per month, and I can see that shaking up the economic
interdependance that currently exists between the USA and China. I can
easily see Cuba becoming the next world manufacturing center, competing
with the likes of China and Malaysia. Only, Cuba has a much nicer
climate and much nicer beaches than China or Malaysia.







Yep, I agree.

Cuba is not a threat to us.


No one in the US has ever properly addressed North Korea
or anything in the Mid-East to any degree of satisfaction.


Two HUGE elephants in the room and now there are bound to be some
****ing and moaning about (the non-problem) Cuba.


BTW:


I've been to London a few times and got some Cuban cigars there.


I'm not a smoker but occasionally I enjoy a good cigar.

Just had to see what the big deal was. Personally I preferred Jamaican
cigars...but again...I am not a smoker so who am I to judge?

I don't smoke, and I can't tell the difference between a top rated Cuban cigar and the cheapest cigar in the whole tobacconist's shop.

It's the same with most stuff. I can't tell the diffeence between a mongrel mutt from an animal shelter and the Best in Show at the Westminister Kennel Club. I presume the dog from the Kennel Club would have fewer ticks and wouldn't smell as much when you give it a bath. I can't tell the difference between a really good bottle of Bordeaux Chateau Whatever and a bottle of cheap Chilean dinner wine. I'd probably like the sweeter one more. Since I use my computer very much like a glorified typewriter, I can't tell the difference between a 386SX processor and the fastest one out there now. All of this makes me wonder why we're always being sold stuff that's supposedly better if most of us can't tell the difference between good, better and best?

But I agree that the announcement yesterday about the normalization of relations with Cuba is not just political news. It's very much global economic news as manufacturers from all over the world will be looking to Cuba as an attractive alternative to China for a source of cheap labour.

On 12/18/2014 1:32 PM, philo wrote:

I'm not a smoker but occasionally I enjoy a good cigar.

Just had to see what the big deal was. Personally I preferred Jamaican
cigars...but again...I am not a smoker so who am I to judge?

I'm not an elephant, but occasionally
I swing my trunk, and make elephant
noises.

You really think we believe you're not
a smoker? You contradict yourself.

-
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

I'm not a liar, but when my wife asked me if the new dress she wanted to buy made her look fat, I said "No". I'm not a liar, but when my neighbor's kid pressed me for an answer, I said "Yes, Jamie, there is a Santa Claus."

Stormin: some things arem't stictly black or white, but various shades of grey.

I photocopied my income tax return at work, and now the receptionist is telling everyone that I'm a thief.

There's a difference between a smoker, some kid who gets an adult to buy him cigarettes so he can supposedly impress his friends, someone who will have an occasional cigarette when offered one and someone who never smokes under any circumstances.

"Not a smoker" means someone who isn't hooked and doesn't normally smoke. It doesn't mean someone who never smokes under any circumstance. So, to say "I'm not a smoker, but I had a cigarette at last year's company Christmas Party" is not a contradiction.

I used to watch that bunk all the time on Sunday morning TV where some TV evangelist would say "If you ever sinned, you are by definition a "sinner"", and I thought "What bunk". If I pounded out something that didn't make sense on a piano, does that make me a "musician"?

On 12/19/2014 11:37 AM, nestork wrote:
Stormin: some things arem't stictly black or white, but various shades
of grey.

I photocopied my income tax return at work, and now the receptionist is
telling everyone that I'm a thief.

There's a difference between a smoker, some kid who gets an adult to buy
him cigarettes so he can supposedly impress his friends, someone who
will have an occasional cigarette when offered one and someone who never
smokes under any circumstances.

"Not a smoker" means someone who isn't hooked and doesn't normally
smoke. It doesn't mean someone who never smokes under any circumstance.
So, to say "I'm not a smoker, but I had a cigarette at last year's
company Christmas Party" is not a contradiction.

I used to watch that bunk all the time on Sunday morning TV where some
TV evangelist would say "If you ever sinned, you are by definition a
"sinner"", and I thought "What bunk". If I pounded out something that
didn't make sense on a piano, does that make me a "musician"?


There is an old joke I can't remember well enough
to quote. It goes some thing about "I give to the
poor, alms and work for the church. I help little
old ladies across the street. But.... just f-k
ONE GOAT!!!!!

Some things only require one.

-
..
Christopher A. Young
Learn about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

On 12/19/2014 10:37 AM, nestork wrote:


troll comments snipped unread
..

I'm not a liar, but when my wife asked me if the new dress she wanted to
buy made her look fat, I said "No". I'm not a liar, but when my
neighbor's kid pressed me for an answer, I said "Yes, Jamie, there is a
Santa Claus."

Yep.

A smart move when dealing with your wife or neighbor's kid.


Stormin: some things arem't stictly black or white, but various shades
of grey.

I photocopied my income tax return at work, and now the receptionist is
telling everyone that I'm a thief.

There's a difference between a smoker, some kid who gets an adult to buy
him cigarettes so he can supposedly impress his friends, someone who
will have an occasional cigarette when offered one and someone who never
smokes under any circumstances.

"Not a smoker" means someone who isn't hooked and doesn't normally
smoke. It doesn't mean someone who never smokes under any circumstance.
So, to say "I'm not a smoker, but I had a cigarette at last year's
company Christmas Party" is not a contradiction.

I used to watch that bunk all the time on Sunday morning TV where some
TV evangelist would say "If you ever sinned, you are by definition a
"sinner"", and I thought "What bunk". If I pounded out something that
didn't make sense on a piano, does that make me a "musician"?






Last time I had a cigar was 20 years ago.

Who knows , maybe I'll have another at my funeral?

On Sat, 20 Dec 2014 08:35:44 -0600, philo* wrote:

On 12/19/2014 10:37 AM, nestork wrote:


troll comments snipped unread
..

I'm not a liar, but when my wife asked me if the new dress she wanted to
buy made her look fat, I said "No". I'm not a liar, but when my
neighbor's kid pressed me for an answer, I said "Yes, Jamie, there is a
Santa Claus."

Yep.

A smart move when dealing with your wife or neighbor's kid.


Stormin: some things arem't stictly black or white, but various shades
of grey.

I photocopied my income tax return at work, and now the receptionist is
telling everyone that I'm a thief.

There's a difference between a smoker, some kid who gets an adult to buy
him cigarettes so he can supposedly impress his friends, someone who
will have an occasional cigarette when offered one and someone who never
smokes under any circumstances.

"Not a smoker" means someone who isn't hooked and doesn't normally
smoke. It doesn't mean someone who never smokes under any circumstance.
So, to say "I'm not a smoker, but I had a cigarette at last year's
company Christmas Party" is not a contradiction.

I used to watch that bunk all the time on Sunday morning TV where some
TV evangelist would say "If you ever sinned, you are by definition a
"sinner"", and I thought "What bunk". If I pounded out something that
didn't make sense on a piano, does that make me a "musician"?






Last time I had a cigar was 20 years ago.

Who knows , maybe I'll have another at my funeral?



If I ever smoked one it would likely be a few days before my funeral -
- - -

On 12/20/2014 11:58 AM, wrote:
On

"Not a smoker" means someone who isn't hooked and doesn't normally
smoke. It doesn't mean someone who never smokes under any circumstance.
So, to say "I'm not a smoker, but I had a cigarette at last year's
company Christmas Party" is not a contradiction.

I used to watch that bunk all the time on Sunday morning TV where some
TV evangelist would say "If you ever sinned, you are by definition a
"sinner"", and I thought "What bunk". If I pounded out something that
didn't make sense on a piano, does that make me a "musician"?






Last time I had a cigar was 20 years ago.

Who knows , maybe I'll have another at my funeral?



If I ever smoked one it would likely be a few days before my funeral -


If I knew that I only had two day to live, I don't think I'd have a
cigar, I'd be worried about what it would do to my health!

On Sat, 20 Dec 2014 16:20:38 -0600, philo* wrote:

On 12/20/2014 11:58 AM, wrote:
On

"Not a smoker" means someone who isn't hooked and doesn't normally
smoke. It doesn't mean someone who never smokes under any circumstance.
So, to say "I'm not a smoker, but I had a cigarette at last year's
company Christmas Party" is not a contradiction.

I used to watch that bunk all the time on Sunday morning TV where some
TV evangelist would say "If you ever sinned, you are by definition a
"sinner"", and I thought "What bunk". If I pounded out something that
didn't make sense on a piano, does that make me a "musician"?






Last time I had a cigar was 20 years ago.

Who knows , maybe I'll have another at my funeral?



If I ever smoked one it would likely be a few days before my funeral -


If I knew that I only had two day to live, I don't think I'd have a
cigar, I'd be worried about what it would do to my health!
The day I smoked a cigar would be a few days before my funeral
because it would KILL me. On the spot.