Nothing like being killed by rat poison. D-con is a blood thinner that allows the rats to wander off before they die. Wafarin and Coumadin (and D-con) are all the same thing, blood thinner.

Best regards,

RA1

The version of the story I recall was attributed to Krushchev. Stalin had a stroke after that party. Several days later K., Beria, Molotov and others were by Stalin's deathbed congratulating each other on surviving the purge Stalin had just kicked off. The apparently unconcious Stalin suddenly popped open his eyes and glared at them. Molotov fell to his knees begging forgiveness. Beria had the wit to put a pillow over Stalin's face and finish him.

I hadn't heard the Wiki version. When you consider that warfarin poisoning would produce stroke like symptions, the two versions dove-tail neatly into each other. K.'s story gives K. and the others a pass on denying medical care, and Molotov's bio. skips the embarrassing denouement. Both attribute Stalin's death to Beria, a man murdered by the two of them (with the aid of Gen. Zhukov) a few months later.

I'm old enough to remember how proud the Soviets were of themselves when they managed to replace Krushchev without killing anybody.

I'm tired of waiting! Fuck the government telling me where I can and can not travel! Let me be an adult and assess the situation on whether or not it is safe and those governments and people I want to support! I am planning on going to Cuba middle of or end of next year. Can't wait to stand on the beaches of Cuba looking towards Florida and give a big your number one to the US government while sippin on my yummy mojito.

Hugs,

Greg

I'm tired of waiting!

Obama is moving slowly so as not to frighten the cats. Bet things will be radically changed within 4 years. Meanwhile keep going thru Canada.

Obama is moving slowly so as not to frighten the cats. Bet things will be radically changed within 4 years. Meanwhile keep going thru Canada.

I think I'd prefer Mexico. I blend in easier then I do Canada.

Hugs,

Greg

You might want to hold off a few months on Mexico.

You might want to hold off a few months on Mexico.

I am more worried about the common cold or possiably being in the mid west this summer and suffering heat stroke then this Swine Flu.

Hugs,

Greg

Agree that flu fear-mongering is not helpful. (Biden to the contrary.)

But it does give pause to look through this record of the 1918 flu epidemic that the National Archives thoughtfully put together...

http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/influenza...cords-list.html

Looks like Oz, T.Y. and Greg should dig their white linen suits out of storage and start shopping for some new Panama hats.

This fall Congress will take up a bill to lift travel restrictions to Cuba for all Americans. The bill already has 134 co-sponsors in the House. In 2003 both houses passed a similar bill that was killed in conference committee by the Republican congressional leadership, so I expect the Dems. won't have any great trouble passing it this time. Do they still serve Cuba Libre's in Havana?

For more details, and a brief dicussion of under the radar type diplomatic initiatives toward Cuba by Obama, see The Economist, May 9, "Gently does it," p.32. I couldn't resist another plug for my favorite news magazine. Most of the current issue is available free online.

Looks like Oz, T.Y. and Greg should dig their white linen suits out of storage and start shopping for some new Panama hats.

Having grown up in Florida, I could see setting up home base at least half of the year in post-Castro Cuba with suitable evolution of the political climate, oh, and broadband. I've always had a fantasy of living the lifestyle of Papa Hemingway. Add to that those hot Cuban hunks and twinks (maybe they are already subsumed in his lifestyle), what's not to like other than the humidity.

T.Y., your take on Havana's climate is ass backwards. Just take a window air conditioner for your apartment with you and you'll have hunks and twinks lined up half way down the block. It's all a matter of making that humidity work for you. Practice saying: "Soy un Americano rico. Mi casa esta muy fria. Los hombres hermoso me gustan."

T.Y., your take on Havana's climate is ass backwards. Just take a window air conditioner for your apartment with you and you'll have hunks and twinks lined up half way down the block. It's all a matter of making that humidity work for you. Practice saying: "Soy un Americano rico. Mi casa esta muy fria. Los hombres hermoso me gustan."

I learned long ago that AC qualifies as a personal appliance -- if it ain't there then take it with you. That presumes a 24/7 reliable electricity supply though. Not sure that is a given yet. May have to settle for twinks with large ostrich feather fans. Four or five at a time ought be be enough.

As AdamSmith told me in a different context, "Why choose?"

The image your post put in my head was of the critic bot in the cartoon show Futurerama.

May have to settle for twinks with large ostrich feather fans. Four or five at a time ought be be enough.

Ah -- the "Peel me a grape!" scenario.

As AdamSmith told me in a different context, "Why choose?"

On t'other hand, I just Googled up the phrase "choice is an illusion". The results brought on vertigo.

Cuba just accepted a U.S. offer to resume direct talks on a variety of issues such as immigration, mail service and drug interdiction. TY's trip to Havana gets closer, one baby step at a time.

TY's trip to Havana gets closer, one baby step at a time.

One suspects and hopes Obama & Co. will get far on a lot of issues via the tactic of slipping it in a little bit at the time.