cali373 has left 1426 comments

cali373 comments on A/C business in Cali. Good or bad idea?

Why not include electrical services as well instead of just A/C

cali373 comments on Going to colombia...

If i had to pick one city with mountains, I would say Medellin. then go to CTG

cali373 comments on Former Colombian president blasts U.S. anti-drug strategy

I don't see it as any type of suggestion for legalization but to actually consider other options that my work since the drug war is sadly not working and will never work. It's just a transfer of money from the taxpayer to companies that profit from Law enforcement and since Bush the first, the military industrial complex. Treatment programs are the most effective means of getting people to stop using drugs. but we dont spend much money on treatment. I am undecided about the hard drugs but marijuana, PLEASE! I was never a pot smoker but I can see that criminalizing pot is asburd considering alcohol and cigarettes are legal. And I don't want to hear the how kids are affected. It is easier for underage people to get pot then get alcohol. Why? beause they is a system in place that regulates the sale and distribution of alcohol. A store clerk will most likely not serve a minor and ask for ID, a pot dealer does not have to go thru that.

cali373 comments on

"Chavez dictarial regime" that is the equivalent of the conspiracy theorists that claim 9-11 was planned by the US government.

cali373 comments on

you know "wench" is a very racist remark. now I start to think if Cordoba was from completely caucasion ancestry if she would still get the same smear campaign. There are MANY prominent Colombia politicians that oppose Uribe's policies and while not having dialogue with Chavez or the FARC, have similar thoughts of the way the colombian government should be. but they are not subject to the same smear campaign. I will be honest the only thing I know about Cordoba is that she was sent by Uribe to negotiate prisioner exchanges while using the help of Chavez, and she a proponent of woman's and minority rights. So what am I missing. Did she publicly declare herself a FARC supporter or a Chavista?

cali373 comments on Moving to Cartagena soon to work then and trying to find out cost of living

I wish I had your issue of looking for a place to live in Cartagena. let me know if your company is hiring LOL! I will ask a friend of mine in cartagena for info, she can probable provide good info.

cali373 comments on Oppenheimer Report : America's Brand/Image Greatly Improved By Obama Presidency, Colombia ranked 47th

After Bush, any presidency makes the USA look better.

cali373 comments on Colombian Free Trade: Exporting Death Squads to Honduras

"add that to the coca exports, colombia's chief cash cow." if you mean a business that handles "cash" then yes but drug trafficking is a minor part of the overall colombian economy. It is the business that makes most of the headlines.

cali373 comments on

Man or woman. it does not matter. What matters is how much money is involved.

cali373 comments on My visit to Cartagena

kurious, where did you stay?

cali373 comments on For those that think doing business in Colombia is difficult, compare that to Russia

Did that happen under the Soviet union?

cali373 comments on Traveling safely from Panama city to Bogota Colombia.....

One option is to fly AIRES from panama city to Cartagena for about US$150.00. Then from Cartagena to bogota, an 18 hour bus ride is about $100,000 COP.

cali373 comments on Would You say That ColomBianas Are More Jelous and possessive Than Other Latinas?any Region in specific?

I think Latinas are overly jealous or posessive in general

cali373 comments on Dollar is down, due to PBH unstability

The US Dollar is actually up from previose levels, which is surprising after the second economic stimulus added to the amount of treasury bonds out in the market. Investors are not moving towards dollars (yet) since the federal reserve is keeping rates steady at a very low level. you will see a jump in dollar investments once interest rates increase but I don't see that until 2011. The opening of the Iranian oil bourse in 2008 could have had some affect on the buying of dollars since its intention is to for Iran (a major oil trader) to trade oil using currencies OTHER than the US dollar. Welcome to free markets. Look at the history of countries that have started to use currencies other than the US Dollar 2005-2008, and you will see that's about the same time the dollar was weakest. It it not the sole cause of a week dollar but it does have an affect. you think the reason for hostility toward Iran is only due to the nuclear issue?

cali373 comments on Cali Colombia was a great time!!!!!!!! Glad i went there!!!!

Parque del perro?

cali373 comments on I want to go live in Colombia

24 single male, Yeah i know exactly why you picked Pereira, LOL!!! hey good luck though, it is a great city.

cali373 comments on Payless shoes opening in Santa Marta

Please excuse the sarcasm haddeman but you really walked into that one. Overall I am glad to see that their is more investment in a coastal area and in Colombia as a whole. regardless of the country where the investment comes from.

cali373 comments on Payless shoes opening in Santa Marta

"has better quality products,much better customer service and look after there staff very well,ie long contracts,higher wages and superior training." This is either one of three things: EITHER YOU ARE SERIOUSLY KIDDING, SERIOUSLY MISINFORMED, OR STAND TO GAIN FROM THE SUCCESS OF PAYLESS. a. Anyone who has bought shoes in the US is very much aware that "Quality" is not why someone walks into a payless. b. Customer service! In my experience, overall people are much nicer in discount retail outlets in Colombia. c. long contracts? how would you know that? I have met people that have worked for subsidiaries of major US Corp. that contracts end in a year. that is not long term and employment anywhere depend on economic conditions and not where the company is headquartered. d. Higher wages!!!. Business 101 and Economics 101 quickly rebuff that claim as wages depend on available labor. Which the costal areas have some of the highest unemployment rates in Colombia. And you really think a company is going to pay more because they are a US chain? not to mention their sales associates are mostly immigrants with little skills or teenagers, both earning minimum wage. If you have mentioned job benefits that would have been hilarious. e. superior training? have ever walked into a payless in the US? looking for a size or operating a cash register is not exactly superior skills.

cali373 comments on Canadians invading Colombia

Well that is good, I trust Canadians over USA companies. Why are we comparing Colombia to a country that has never built a diverse economy and only depended on Oil. Try comparing it overall to developing countries like Brazil, Argentina, Chile that have maintained stronger economies albiet with shortfalls, yet stronger institutions in areas of democracy, education, and governance and you might find it that Colombia lags. Colombia however has seen some break in trade relations and yes thanks to Uribe, however the education sector has not improved.

cali373 comments on The Washington Post: Advantage, Mr. Chávez

The posts on this thread are ridiculous. The U.S. or Colombia is not going to attack Venezuela, just wait and see. And chavez will stay in power for a long time and the venezuelen economy would be the same with a right wing oligarc in power because that's the way it was when they had the oligarch in power. Venezuela's economy relies too much on oil and very unsustainable, they have always relied on imports for most of their supplies. guess what? that was the case way before Chavez. However Chavez for being really stupid (because he really is), he is clever in ways to piss off the U.S. and Colombia. looking for markets and trading partners else where. The U.S. will always buy its oil, chavez never has to worry about that. as far food supplies, Venezuela is actively looking to replace Colombia's imports. Threat or no threat, Chavez is the kind of person that would not back out on that. And that is not good for Colombia in any way. I find it interesting that Chavez has not invaded anyone or supported coups, or caused killing of thousands of inocent lives, yet he is called a madman over GW Bush. Stupid yes, madman, is he? He is such a madman that member of PBH have such a hard on for him instead of spending their time actually doing something good for the people of Colombia.

cali373 comments on Morales wants referendum on U.S.-Colombian pact

ummmm, where did you read this? I assume it was not just taken from thin air?

cali373 comments on CHAVEZ SAID A COLOMBIA-U.S. DEAL IS A DECLARATION OF WAR!!

The U.S.'s military buildup in Colombia "is only part of a much broader effort to restore Washington's capacity for intervention,"

cali373 comments on Another Great Colombian Restaurant

their are a few good spanish restuarants in Newark (ironbound section), but if you are up north, there is a great spanish resturant in moonachie NJ, called segovia's

cali373 comments on Colombia loses to Venezuela 2-1

Sorry mosvar, i will remember that next time. As far as the Ecuadoreans, some were routing for Colombia and some for Venezuela. They were mostly waiting for the Ecuador game to start.

cali373 comments on Colombians the majority are dishonest

Leave the country and divorce your wife and go back to the "very honest" more developed country you came from.

cali373 comments on New Lonely Planet Colombia

They could be helpful, I had the south american lonely planet and that helped me get thru the andes.

cali373 comments on George Washington University site of U.S.declassified documents on Colombia

I must say i have some shady ass relatives too, LOL

cali373 comments on Colombian refugees' tent city a reminder of crisis

What is MeBog?

cali373 comments on The "T" Shirt project is Alive

webmanco = LOL!!! so, what are the designs so far? can we have a look?

cali373 comments on Swedish Comments On Saab Bofors Weapon Deal

makopp5 "Colombia is paying a high price in lives and violence generated for the drugmoney" While this may be true, it is also true that Colombia pays a high price because of the prohibition of these drugs. the reason why their is a criminal element with drugs, is the fact that their are illegal. Make them legal and you eliminate the criminal element pretty fast. Now the first reaction for most is to think that would be ridiculous, but think about it and you will see that it is true. What dont you see the same kind of violence in liquor and tabacco trafficking? because they are legal and equally addicting and detrimental to human health. I agree that the drugs may still create addicts, but guess what, they are creating addicts anywaymt he difference is that you will not have the criminal element. I know legalization will never happen, but not because governments are worried about the health risks, but because there is alot of money being made on this so-called war on drugs.

cali373 comments on pregnant 14-year-old girl and her unborn baby survive a landmine in COLOMBIA

Interesting, what caught my eye was "pregnant 14-year-old" and the bigger problem here are the landmines! There is a problem in Colombia, too bad many don't know it is a social one.

cali373 comments on Non Tourist Nightclubs in Cartagena

LOL!

cali373 comments on Do you think SOME Colombian's have any clue that there is a WORLD recession going on?

It seems that your lady friend is an exception, both the rule in Colombia. she may have been hanging out with too many americans.

cali373 comments on Colombian traveling to Colombia without a cedula

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cali373 comments on Colombian traveling to Colombia without a cedula

Lisa you want to post that one more time. i did not get it the first three times, LOL! Does not seem like your brother was born in Colombia. if he was he would at least have been told by DAS, that he is supposed to get a Colombian passport if traveling to Colombia. So he either has failed to mentioned that to you or was born in the U.S. For U.S. naturalized citizens that were born, a colombian passport is required, although the DAS is a little lax in letting you in but they definitely mention it and they can legally refuse to let someone in because of that.

cali373 comments on Increased U.S. Military Presence in Colombia Could Pose Problems With Neighbors

Increased U.S. Military Presence anywhere poses problems, anywhere. except germany, but that is because they are anglo. You think they are there for the security of the world!!!

cali373 comments on Capurgana and Islas San Blas

this sounds interesting, I was planning on doing something similar but from cartagena ro Colon, panama and then on to San blas.

cali373 comments on Washington, Colombia near deal on base access

"Nor, they said, would U.S. troops lose their immunity from local criminal prosecution. " I want to thank Uribe for increasing the U.S. military domination of South America. no, this is not imperialism, not one bit.

cali373 comments on How did you meet your Colombiana/o?

clyde, "How did you achieve 2 in 7?" is that a serious question, what do you think?

cali373 comments on How did you meet your Colombiana/o?

I met my Ex-colombiana when I got lost in Caldas and ended up in a little town. I stopped by the place she worked out of convenience, to ask for instructions to get back to Pereira.

cali373 comments on

I like Cartagena, can't wait to go back.

cali373 comments on Colon, Panama to San Jose, costa rica by land

jimmycr1 - thanks for the advice. I guess it is not as intersting as busing along Colombia, the andes, or mexico. a little dis-illusioned. still in planning phase though

cali373 comments on Colon, Panama to San Jose, costa rica by land

I have idea why the darien gap was brought up. I simply asked the question about getting from Colon to San Jose costa rica. I never mentioned anything about the Darien gap. I am planning on getting to San jose from Panama by land, not Colombia. I guess it is a simple mistake. by the way, I am from the US and I dont think most americans know where the darien gap is, as opposed to Colombians. American are not known for their geographic qualities. But thanks for the info. could be a journey for the future. Darien should be awesome, without the dangers that is. thanks for the adivce. i was just exploring my options for getting from Colombia to costa rica. I plan to sail to panama form colombia and i only have seen the other way around. and my trip will end in costa rica. san jose is the only airport with flights back to the US.

cali373 comments on Colombia holds an impressive lead

Bill Turley. I understand your analogy but I disagree. The bailouts of the auto-industry are funded by new debt at the federal level and not by current pension funds that are managed by state level educational unions. El Expatriado: Perspective: Let's kill 48 members of El Expatriado's family, which is less than how many died from starvation in Colombia in a given week. Doesn't affect most people, but it is still horrible isn't it. It's not the point of how many were killed, journalism is part of an institution that represents democracy and free speech. Imagine when one police officer is killed. It is a BIG deal and sometimes even makes national news in the US, but there are still thousands of officers available and that officer can be replaced in a matter of weeks.

cali373 comments on April 16, 2009 Obama re-designates FARC Marxist narcoterrorists as 'insurgents'

americanthinker??? who are they?

cali373 comments on April 16, 2009 Obama re-designates FARC Marxist narcoterrorists as 'insurgents'

Does the FARC commit acts of terrorism, ABSOLUTELY. Are they insurgents, ABSOLUTELY. The US was founded based on rebellion and insurgency. take the US army. According to the backers of the war, they are liberators. Are they liberators, absolutely (if you read the news headlines at the start of the war), Are they Invaders, absolutely. but the word invasion was not used. Being labeled an insurgent is good thing? really?

cali373 comments on 557 reasons why the FARC is on the international lists of terrorists groups

There is about that many reasons why the Colombian Military should be classified as a terrorist group but that is not the case. It is not a freak accident that an insurgency still exists in Colombia. On a different note, if the USA used the same logic that it used to classify North Korea as a sponsor of state terrorism, then the US government would be a sponsor of state terrorism as its support of the Colombian military indirectly supports paramilitary groups. POINT: Those in power and control of the media get to dictate what news people hear, and sometimes, what they think.

cali373 comments on

I dont find this hilarious either but I get what people are thinking. Time and time again it has been mentioned that the so-called drug war is working. In the real world we know that it is not and this is evidence of that.

cali373 comments on What's better Colombia or USA???

I just think that the two should not be compared as one better than the other. One has better security than the other but random violence can get you killed in both. USA has more money but one can have much money in both, just as one can be poor in both but the chances are much higher in Colombia.

cali373 comments on New 2009 Lonely Planet Colombia now available

It is about time.