Cerealkiller has left 2261 comments

Cerealkiller comments on Just what did the Fench do?

BillyB I don't have an answer for that. I believe this Ingrid is a completely different person from that taken away in 2002- I would like to give her the benefit of the doubt and keep a close eye on how things evolve. Surely, the woman must be experiencing some kind of shock. I probably would not vote for her, but I am very interested in knowing a bit more about what she has to say. I would not jump into these sort of assumptions right now, it is probably very premature. I was just addressing the OP without considering possible implications or variables...but that does not change the fact that she has a lot to feel grateful for when it comes to the French.

Cerealkiller comments on Just what did the Fench do?

Without having read most of the replies on this thread and addressing the OP, I would say she had a lot of reasons to thank France for. The French may not have had anything to do with the military operation leading to her rescue (which was amazing by all accounts)- but for those who have never experienced the kidnapping of a loved one, or just haven't bothered to actually put themselves in such an inhumane situation, support -even if its just moral- is a major issue in the lives of those who are deprived or freedom. Ingrid knew the French people felt for her plight, she knew she was not being judged as a politician but a human being who was chained to her neck like a dog (seems like some here actually believe she had it coming, just because they did not like her as a politician), her family was given the chance to voice their concerns, her children had the support of highly renowned French people. The common people never forgot about her, or judged her. The support of the French was widely expressed by her mother, sister and children on the messages they sent to her through the radio: All the meetings her children had with French officials, access to the press..etc etc. That woman is alive after 6 years because of her tenacity, but also because she felt loved and supported by her family and the French people. I think those are enough reasons to feel thankful for. Those who think a kidnapping is not a matter a survival and mental stability (regardless of if they are freed, rescued or killed in captivity) don't know shit about the drama of innocents deprived of freedom.

Cerealkiller comments on Are Ingrid Betancourt and the Three Americans Free

Huskie, you could learn a thing or two from Ingrid's decorum and class. Enjoy the broadcast.

Cerealkiller comments on Are Ingrid Betancourt and the Three Americans Free

Oh dear, who let the dogs out?

Cerealkiller comments on LIVE ON CNN FROM TOLEMAIDA RIGHT NOW

Al Jazeera is covering live as well.

Cerealkiller comments on Are Ingrid Betancourt and the Three Americans Free

I'm very happy for all the families and those who were rescued, there are very little things that can compare to that kind of joy. In regards to the politics involved, I stand still. This was a very positive outcome but that does not change *my* view on Uribe.

Cerealkiller comments on Colombian news headlines | “Supreme Court has ties with drug traffickers�, Uribe and Chavez meet July 11, Minister and ex-minister charged with bribery

the funniest bit is that Uribe said the supreme court was infiltrated by paras and supported the FARC... very smart comment. But overall the president's respect for colombias institutionality is non existent (I predicted it ha!)

Cerealkiller comments on Tu and Usted in Bogota

bfree, unless you're in Bogota then you should master the art of usted and then afterwards 'tu' will come along. Generally speaking 'usted' is used when talking to people you hardly know, people who are way above you in the food chain, and formal encounters (judges, priests etc). In Bogota 'tu' is used a bit more loosely, but usted remains pretty widespread in professional settings. I for one treat my best friends and sibblings using 'usted'...and if someone I don't like, don't know treats me as 'tu' I will politely remind them we are neither friends, nor related and I am not interested in making them comfortable.

Cerealkiller comments on the flower industry in Colombia

Monpirri, I am not lying. The only two businesses in Colombia that I know like the back of my hand are flowers and textiles, you can call me an idiot regarding everything else. But coincidentally the cover article for Semana last week was the one that came up with the numbers not me. As for that press release, obviously flowers are sold during valentines day, its the most important date along with mothers day. But the strong peso, the competition from other Colombians in Ecuador and Chile along with the world's credit crunch (people would rather buy more food than flowers) has pretty much crippled the industry. I am not making this up, go and speak to anyone who knows anything about the flower business. "Se acabo la fiesta" Las alarmas están encendidas en los exportadores que estiman en más de 30.000 los empleos que se han perdido. Los confeccionistas y los textileros calculan que han tenido que despedir unas 15.000 personas, y los floricultores cerca de 18.000. Todos los sectores hacen sus propias cuentas del impacto del dólar barato. Los productores de cacao aseguran que dejaron de recibir alrededor de 166.000 millones de pesos en la cosecha de 2007, y los cafeteros dicen que la revaluación es la tercera peste después de la roya y de la broca y que, por su culpa, han dejado de recibir ingresos, en los últimos tres años, por 1,5 billones de pesos. http://www.semana.com/wf_InfoArticulo.aspx?IdArt=112877

Cerealkiller comments on Peso $1916COP

I think 2300 is a good price on both ends of the spectrum.

Cerealkiller comments on Uribe Asks For New Presidential Vote In Colombia

Its a bit frustrating to see how the president expresses little regard for the constitution, democratic institutions and the other branches of government. If this thing comes through it will be setting a sombre precedent for the future. Democracy is so much more than the rule of the masses...it's very sad that even some educated people have decided to join the hype and ignore the very foundations of Colombia as a nation. I am still hopeful though, Colombia voted against his first referendum and opposition is becoming more and more widespread. One can only hope.

Cerealkiller comments on the flower industry in Colombia

There have been 17000 layoffs in the flower industry and they have lost 20 billion just this year. The flower industry in Colombia is ailing, most of these farms are closing up and keeping a handful of workers to keep the plants decent so they can lower costs and reopen in Feb and May... Kenya's flower industry is booming. Colombia's flower industry has been moving to Ecuador and Chile...

Cerealkiller comments on La Línea

Argh! I am jealous now, I wish we had more festivos everywhere else. And yes if it is San Pedro (there are like 2 long weekends this month right? One is San Pedro and then there is another one or vice versa...I dunno) then I would say 10 hours and suggest you wake up even earlier...if its on Saturday then you're cool once you've made it to Ibague as most people will be leaving Bogota not going there.

Cerealkiller comments on La Línea

I have no info on landslides or holidays but my only advice is do it as early as possible. Leaving Armenia at around 4 am is not a crazy idea, and chances are it'll shorten your trip. Also, drive carefully, its a very curvy road and sometimes large vehicles have to take the curves in two steps so keep both eyes very open. If you manage to pull a very early morning I would say 7 hours.

Cerealkiller comments on ROBBED AT KNIFE POINT IN BOGOTA! THIS COUNTRY IS DANGEROUS!!

I also thought the story was something only a Pow Wow kind of character would come up with. I have faced a bunch of really uncomfortable situations in Bogota: Being mugged, being followed and harassed by a cop, having my car vandalized...but I am aware this sort of crap happens everywhere and I still get pretty excited every time I travel to Bogota. And that is not just because I lived in Bogota for many years. My bf and best friend (very obvious American and British, respectively) came to Bogota and we planned on going to the Museo Nacional, so off we go on a weekday after brunch and as we walk from parking place by Plaza de Toros we are ambushed by two hobos (proper hobos, dressed in rags and sniffing glue)...it was a very unfortunate experience involving a lot of bad words, spit etc etc...but BF is always eager to go back to Colombia and best friend thought it was the nicest country out of his 4 country trip through Latin America.

Cerealkiller comments on Colombia: A culture of violence?

Albatross but this study reveals that organized violence is only directly responsible for 10% of murders. What is going on? Is Colombia a nation of wifebeaters? I do not know. I know this tends to be a serious problem in Central America, it makes it on the news almost every day... but these stats show that Colombia is no less of a wife-beating nation that say Nicaragua... I think the problem is I do not believe Colombians are violent towards family/friends etc. because of the conflict (although it sounds like a good excuse to justify domestic violence)...but that would only leave me with the alternative, Colombia's conflict is a result of idiosyncratic violence and I don't think that's true either.

Cerealkiller comments on Hugo Of Hezbollah

"Not the words of a moderate nation accoring to me..." This does not mean much really, unless you're some powerful leader or influential academic in disguise (which Im sure you aren't BTW). Again, none of your articles mentions France as the country declaring war, which deems the statement ambiguous. Addressing France's ambassadorial corps, Sarkozy stressed that such an outcome would be a disaster. He did not say that France would ever participate in military action against Iran or even tacitly support such an approach. But the mere fact that he raised the specter of the use of force is likely to be perceived by Iran as a warning of the consequences of its continuing course of action and by the Bush administration as acceptance of its line that no option, including the use of force, can be excluded." http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/08/27/europe/france.php A nuclear-armed Iran would be unacceptable and the world must continue to tighten sanctions while offering incentives to Tehran to halt weapons development, he said. “This initiative is the only one that can enable us to escape an alternative that I say is catastrophic: the Iranian bomb or the bombing of Iran,�? he said. He did not say who would carry out such an attack, which has been suggested by policy experts in Israel and the US. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article2337190.ece

Cerealkiller comments on Hugo Of Hezbollah

Tasco, I do not believe Sarkozy ever threatened war with Iran. He did say Iran was risking an attack but he was refering to Israel and the US, he never mentioned France or French support. As for Obama's comment on an invasion of Pakistan, I was baffled...but it would not surprise me that he is using that bellicose rhetoric just to meet the triggerhappy requirement needed to be elected president of the USA.

Cerealkiller comments on Hugo Of Hezbollah

Not really BillyB, I was actually thinking of Barack Hussein Obama. In regards to the 'rise of the right' in Europe, Merkel and Zarko are hardly on the same page as USA conservatives, so they remain pretty moderate in my books...Berlusconi on the other hand is an outright POS. I am surprised you think of me as an Ortega/ Ahmedinajad groupie Billyb, I am a leftie by American standards, but never a fundamentalist or an extremist.

Cerealkiller comments on Colombia, the disgraceful appalling truth

Web, you sure you don't like Norway, or are you just pissed off at the Colombian lady who ditched Colombia for Norway? :P

Cerealkiller comments on Obama and his terrorist alliance exposed on national television

what does GOD stand for? I don't believe I've heard that acronym before.

Cerealkiller comments on Hugo Of Hezbollah

Im with you Dolfi. Perhaps now that more moderate leaders are gaining momentum the world will be more pragmatic and less hypocritical...wishful thinking perhaps.

Cerealkiller comments on Colombia, the disgraceful appalling truth

Desi in order to get subsidio de desempleo you need the following: - Haber estado vinculado a una Caja de Compensación Familiar por lo menos un año, durante los tres últimos años - Ser jefe cabeza de hogar con hijos menores de 18 - La persona debe comprobar que no ha podido encontrar empleo, a pesar de que lo ha buscado en forma activa. Then you can choose: Bono de alimentacion: Para usar en supermercados de cajas de compensacion (Cafam, Comfamiliar etc.) Bono de educacion: Cubre matricula y pension. Si el monto es inferior al subsidio, la plata restante se da en alimentos.

Cerealkiller comments on Colombia, the disgraceful appalling truth

I have never heard of food stamps Desi. I've heard of unemployment benefits for limited periods of time, but I believe that was never implemented and if it ever was, I am pretty sure it was very marginal. Edit: I found out that bonos alimenticios are available through "subsidios de desempleo' a program run by Presidencia de la Republica. However, this is just part of unemployment benefits and it appears that only those who have lost their job recently are entitled to this type of thing. The sad bit is that getting the benefit takes time, and by the time the claim is processed many are no longer considered "recently unemployed".

Cerealkiller comments on Colombia, the disgraceful appalling truth

I've seen comedores comunitarios. We had to go to one for a course, I wouldn't eat that stuff even if my life depended on it. It smells vile. But since I am not starving then that is irrelevant. That said, a lab studied that food and found traces of feces... http://www.elespectador.com.co/noticias/bogota/articulo-estudio-revela-problemas-de-sanidad-los-comedores-de-tercera-edad

Cerealkiller comments on IBAGUE - I urgently need a place to stay this long weekend

sofitel ibague.

Cerealkiller comments on How do Colombians make money?

Ive seen it mostly in autopistas far away from bogota and usually 40 miles away the nearest town...say la Linea, autop Med between Guaduas- Honda...Boyaca in the middle of effing nowhere...it boggles my mind.

Cerealkiller comments on Hugo Of Hezbollah

"Power hungry and looking for war would not be the worse, if he does not already have a lot of power, financial resources and oil.. and he is just crazy if you ask me.. insane...." Shit, this sounds exactly like the US government.

Cerealkiller comments on How do Colombians make money?

Yes Tasco, but potholes are only found in cicites though. Try autopista Medellin, Via al llano....these are concessions, they are supposed to be in prime condition, and are for the ost part except the bits where these people are 'working'... how very odd.

Cerealkiller comments on Prunes in Bogota

you can get prunes in every supermarket. They're called ciruelas pasas. If you're looking for gentle relief buy fybogel or metamucil, you can find those in every drugstore.

Cerealkiller comments on How do Colombians make money?

Oh yeah JorgeG ive seen those. And Ive also read articles on how they cover the pothole during the day just to open a new one at night so that they can collect the day after. Its a logic Ive only read on 100 years of solitude (the woman who knits endlessly only to pull the yarn and start all over...)

Cerealkiller comments on Colombia, the disgraceful appalling truth

I just watched part 1 Elmo. You should totally post it on here as it challenges the common wisdom preached by some PBHers who clearly have opted for ignoring the realities of half the country (Pirry's figure, not mine).

Cerealkiller comments on Hugo Of Hezbollah

Hahaha Romy, I kind of thought something simillar. I've watched the movie already :P Monita Linda, I do not believe Valdimiro's posts are full of hatred at all, they do not appear to be offensive towards anyone, he is not calling Jews names...nothing. He is entitled to his opinion just as you are entitled to yours.

Cerealkiller comments on Hugo Of Hezbollah

With all due respect Monita Linda, you can just ignore vladimiro if you happen to be uninterested in his comments. You have called him stupid twice already...again, the ignore button is right there.

Cerealkiller comments on The Average wages in Colombia

Elmo, we all know that is only costeno salary because you people are lazy and only work during non-drinking, non-dancing hours. :P

Cerealkiller comments on The Average wages in Colombia

I don't know what the average salary is but that is a misleading measure and does not tell us much about the typical income of a colombia worker. I have been trying to find the median salary in Colombia without much success but I honestly don't believe is more than 1 million. A graduate's starting salary in Bogota is only 800 000 COP and most people only have a bachillerato, which is hardly enough education in a place like Colombia.

Cerealkiller comments on We don't like what they say about Colombia? Let's change them!

Oh please Tasco, can you actually post an article that is not american neocon propaganda against the UN? So what if the global south has equal vote? That doesn't mean anything. I don't even think you believe that BS yourself as none of the General Assembly's resolutions are binding, they are only concerned with budgetary issues. The president is not even appointed for long periods of time but rotated on a regional basis every year, so whatever control you claim the president of the general assembly has is a bit farfetched as there is hardly much one can do during a year (Hell 8 years are not enough for Uribe, so take it from there)...Lets look at all the previous "antiamerican presidents" of the council: - 2001:South Korea (yeah, suuuuper anti american) -2002: Czech Republic (another rouge state right?) -2003: St Lucia: A country which has had some territoril disputes with venezuela (but surely that doesn't matter right? those in that island must antiamerican terrorists too...) -2004: Gabon, an oil producing country that withdrew from venezuela's beloved OPEC... -2005: Sweden -2006: Bahrain -2007: Macedonia -2008: Nicaragua Hardly a history of anti americanism. Then you have UNDOC, the office in charge of SIMCI, an office in which 72% of contributions are made by the west (EU, Canada, USA, Sweden and Netherlands), 21% from National Donors (UAE, Colombia, Brazil, Libya, Peru, Qatar, Mexico) and venezuela is somewhere there, but the difference in contributions between Colombia (12.2 million dollars) and Venezuela (13.168 USD) is pretty significant, to say the least. I would appreciate if you came to "elighten me" with facts, rather than some speculative press article published on Newsmax...a worthless, lying, conservative publication. I

Cerealkiller comments on We don't like what they say about Colombia? Let's change them!

Yes Billyb, I was referring to the General Assembly. Mistake. Thanks for pointing that out.

Cerealkiller comments on Living together a taboo in Colomia?

I just read about a simillar case to that of the Fritzl's in Austria in either Meta or Tolima... Some crazy weirdass article on El Tiempo, very disturbing as the children just discovered their grandpa was their dad and the granma had known all along and never did crap (typical, in this type of cases)

Cerealkiller comments on We don't like what they say about Colombia? Let's change them!

I did read the Interpol report, unlike those who refer to it without even reading its content. Second of all saying the president od the UN is a sandinista is innacurate, as the guy is not the president of the UN, only the general assembly, which is only 1 of 5 major organs. There is not veto power in the security council (I actually meant General Assembly here), as all countries are represented on equal basis (yeah, democracy, some scary stuff) . Moreover, the general assembly has no control over what is being published in its studies, so whatever you're suggesting is simply not true.

Cerealkiller comments on which book are you reading at the moment

I am reading Stiglitz' ' 'Three Trillion Dollar War'. And then I am starting my exciting journey into derivatives.

Cerealkiller comments on Gay Colombian to the USA

isn't there any American equivalent to Europe's civil partnership visa?

Cerealkiller comments on We don't like what they say about Colombia? Let's change them!

Why would the UN, an organization whose main donations come from the US, Asia and Europe back chavez? Please enlighten me, because I honestly don't see it.

Cerealkiller comments on PBH member ______ booted from Bogota-bound flight

I've never seen a skunk in my life, my only reference is Pepe Le Peu...so I googled skunk and i found a funny article: "The pet skunk who likes to be taken out through walks on suburbia" I think I want one. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-489211/The-pet-skunk-likes-taken-walks-suburbia.html Video: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7417423.stm

Cerealkiller comments on We don't like what they say about Colombia? Let's change them!

shame on the goverment. We will see who will come to our rescue when the US has had enough of this wonderful friendship.

Cerealkiller comments on gripa

i find staying in bed always makes me feel worse. Get up, take a shower, cover up in layers and go for walks if it isnt too cold or rainy.

Cerealkiller comments on Gay/Lesbian Marriage (Legal) in the USA

I had to take a year long course on gender studies *gets the creeps*. It tends to get a bit complicated but basically it is what Romy said? Sex is determined biologically (hormones, gonads, all that jazz), gender is how we perceive ourselves as people in regards to our sexual tendencies, habits, place in society.

Cerealkiller comments on Living together a taboo in Colomia?

Come on Desi, I am pretty sure you get what "hot" means. Hot = sexy= stud = Gerard Butler (sigh), Christian Bale, some fellow PBHers I won't name... Hot means you're allowed to brag about your conquest freely. Anything else is just not worth it, unless you actually like the person for what they are (which is obviously very rare amongst many PBH men...)

Cerealkiller comments on Living together a taboo in Colomia?

with all due respect tomtom33, shes a bit fug. I know young is attractive but not always. I've certainly seen hotter 50 year olds.

Cerealkiller comments on Gay/Lesbian Marriage (Legal) in the USA

Gender is related to how we perceive ourselves and its usually and mistakenly used when people actually want to say sex, but feel 'gender' would be more educated. Sex and Gender are very different, sex is not a dirty word. Sex sex sex sex sex sex.