Gomezman5 has left 3123 comments

Gomezman5 comments on What the Hell? How the hell are ya all?

Douglas, I suppose in terms of the results yielded by lawyers who have stepped upon the scales of the bizarre, wearing tinfoil covered hats is NOT indicative of extreme lunacy. Drug use in and of itself is widespread. Alcoholism is commonplace. (at least I am quite picky as to what Scotch I can assume)....and never aguardiente...not even if I am in a state of desperation. Oh yea.....I forgot, some hottie in a whiskeria talked me into drinking the shit. So thinking it was only appropriate that I get into the spirit of things, I indulged. Tell you a story?? My life is a story. Ever so simple.....out times too peaceful and doing what I can survive within what no doubt has been the scariest economic times I have ever seen. All those things that us Americans have always deluded ourselves into thinking "only happens over there" or "couldn't happen here" has landed upon our shores indeed. There is plenty of legal work......for me at the least (When ur good ......you survive...lol) I am also doing more contractual government work with benefits. I have never like the stock market.....and always thought cash was king. And obviously, unless one does not have confidence in the FDIC, I feel like a king sitting on my mantle of gold. Hey.....somebody has to be saying they are stable .....right?

Gomezman5 comments on What the Hell? How the hell are ya all?

Thanks Maryut....Douglas.......and of course Kat... By the way kat....what's this reference to Tinfoil that Mike was referencing?? And Mongo....thank you sincerely for the kind words. Such words don't come my way here to often. I think I kind of blushed. And regarding your ability to express the comments eloquently......I am sure you can. Just give it a bit of thought, write it out, and there you are. Done. Besides, in these parts, if you actually are inspired by my comments, all I can say is that you should write you want, any way you want, and I am sure that I will be most appreciative. Clavo..............your ok.....on the other hand sometimes.................................you can be like ....Hmmmm??? .....like Clavo

Gomezman5 comments on What the Hell? How the hell are ya all?

Planb....all due respect, we will simply have to agree....to disagree. I will only say this. Someone told me that Obama will be another Jimmy Carter. It is astonishing how Dems and world leaders glorify him today, when at the time he left office (like Bush) he was considered one of America's worst presidents. He failed in his handling of the American hostages in Iran, unemployment was high, interest rates were higher than at any time in modern history, with mortgage rates lingering in the 20% area, and inflation equally as high. Then came Reagan and the rest is history. Here is man that clearly put the US back "on track" in every respect. Berate him all you want, but to this day, I can't remember any president that won as many electoral votes in his second term as Reagan did. He won 527 electoral votes out of 538 possible. Nobody has even come close to this type of victory. Me thinks that just as Carter brought us 20 years of Republicans, Obama will do the same. If Obama fails, he will have also ruined his democratic party for years to come. This is especially true that every other Democrat comes from the same school of thought. No longer are there any moderates amongst them. Nancy and Harry are just a chip off the old block. At the same time, it was not my intention to debate the validity of the Obama's policies. My opening post identifies what I wanted to discuss, and that is how Colombia is looking more appealing to me because of its pure form of capitalism as opposed to being a "nanny" state that has excessive government involvement in all aspects of our lives. Unlike other Latin American countries, Colombia has never embarked upon the path of socialism, and there is little sign that it will. I pray that is stays that way..................

Gomezman5 comments on What the Hell? How the hell are ya all?

Also Planb Stated simply, Obama has much more than socialistic tendencies. He is a socialist. Period. I don't approve of socialism. I don't desire to see Obama take us down the path that others who thought like him have done. Excessive government programs, earmarks, something he promised unequivocally to eliminate in this budget, have been expanded. Hence, he lied. Wealthy people already pay most of the taxes in this country. The top 1% of all income earners pay 40% of all income tax. That is astonishing, but it is something that most liberals and Obama supporters either ignore, or turn a blind eye to. The stock market has devastated these high earners, and now, in spite of all of this, Obama and his tax cheating Treasury secretary think it is appropriate to raise taxes even higher on this group of people?? Are you serious? You claim that we need to wait....that it is still early. I disagree. He is trying to do so much, so fast, all of which involves major government expenditures that will bring questionable results. He, and his two clowns Nancy and Harry had the nerve to pass the single largest appropriation in the history of this country, and did so without ANY of the congress to have time to read the document.....and still he talks about bipartisanship and transparency. Please...give me a break. Democrats did not find a passage that mandates that everyone should be entitled to home ownership. But they mandated the expansion of the Community Redevelopment Act....a federally created program designed to bring homeownership to people that traditionally could not afford one. Yes, it was the Dems indeed that did this. The ilk of Barnery Frank and Christopher Dodd...the two top recipients on contributions from Freddie and Fannie (Obama was up there too) that on several occasions over the last two years prior to the bubble bursting that all is well at both of those institutions, and therefore the banks need not worry. Again, excessive government entanglement bringing upon disastrous results. The CRA was very specific in their mandates to all banks, essentially ordering them to issue these absurd mortgages. Does anyone really think that banks needed the politicians to tell them when they should and should not lend money? No more 20% down. Earnings debt ratio comparison analysis ....also irrelevant. You had the Dems, in typical liberal style, having the government telling private institutions how to conduct business. So, yes, by implication made an erroneous interpretation of the constitution resulting in the idiotic contention that poor people should own homes too.

Gomezman5 comments on What the Hell? How the hell are ya all?

Planb The foreign policy failures, has no relationship to the ills that are economy are suffering. Keep in mind that the so called "real estate boom" and "give away" mortgages happened during the entire course of the Bush administration. It did not happen in the 90s, it happened after Bush took office. So, while it is convenient to tie Bush's foreign policy strategy to our current economic situation, it's just not analogous. Regarding your comment "The simple minded racists of America have already fallen in line........" That comment almost in and of itself demonstrates a bias on your behalf that is so profound, it almost renders you incapable of being objective. There is no denying racism exists, but my experience seems to lead me to believe that racism is alive in well by whites and blacks both. That said however, the mere fact that such a substantial segment of the White population elected a Black man to the most powerful office in the country.....perhaps the world, I think it is safe to conclude that racial divides are not nearly as prominent as you would suggest. Stated simply, Obama has much more than socialistic tendencies. He is a socialist. Period. I don't approve of socialism. I don't desire to see Obama take us down the path that others who thought like him have done. Excessive government programs, earmarks, something he promised unequivocally to eliminate in this budget, have been expanded. Hence, he lied. Wealthy people already pay most of the taxes in this country. The top 1% of all income earners pay 40% of all income tax. That is astonishing, but it is something that most liberals and Obama supporters either ignore, or turn a blind eye to. The stock market has devastated these high earners, and now, in spite of all of this, Obama and his tax cheating Treasury secretary think it is appropriate to raise taxes even higher on this group of people?? Are you serious? You claim that we need to wait....that it is still early. I disagree. He is trying to do so much, so fast, all of which involves major government expenditures that will bring questionable results. He, and his two clowns Nancy and Harry had the nerve to pass the single largest appropriation in the history of this country, and did so without ANY of the congress to have time to read the document.....and still he talks about bipartisanship and transparency. Please...give me a break. Democrats did not find a passage that mandates that everyone should be entitled to home ownership. But they mandated the expansion of the Community Redevelopment Act....a federally created program designed to bring homeownership to people that traditionally could not afford one. Yes, it was the Dems indeed that did this. The ilk of Barnery Frank and Christopher Dodd...the two top recipients on contributions from Freddie and Fannie (Obama was up there too) that on several occasions over the last two years prior to the bubble bursting that all is well at both of those institutions, and therefore the banks need not worry. Again, excessive government entanglement bringing upon disastrous results. The CRA was very specific in their mandates to all banks, essentially ordering them to issue these absurd mortgages. Does anyone really think that banks needed the politicians to tell them when they should and should not lend money? No more 20% down. Earnings debt ratio comparison analysis ....also irrelevant. You had the Dems, in typical liberal style, having the government telling private institutions how to conduct business. So, yes, by implication made an erroneous interpretation of the constitution resulting in the idiotic contention that poor people should own homes too.

Gomezman5 comments on What the Hell? How the hell are ya all?

Yea.....I was drunk when I wrote the article. However, to our newer esteemed stand out member Catfish, I was not "fried" at the time I wrote the post. Speaking of catfish, up here in Chicago, that is the only place a catfish belongs....in the frying pan. Nope....the scotch only provided me the incentive to voice my opinion. And to you illogical ones that are suggesting that Bush alone caused this economic mess, it is only demonstrates how clearly you have departed from the realm of common sense. As already pointed out, the Dems controlled the congress for the last two years of the Bush presidency. Indeed how quickly you ignore that fact. By the way, are you illogical ones also aware of the fact that at least for the last six months of the Bush presidency, congress had an approval rating that was less than that of Bush's. Also,,,,it was not the Republicans that pushed for the expansion of the community redevelopment act, a federal mandate that required banks... to lend money to people that clearly could not afford the properties were purchasing. I am still trying to find the line in the US constitution that mandates that everyone is entitled to own a home. BTW......poor Citibank. Catfish, are you aware of the fact that when Obama was on a civil right crusade here in Chicago, he worked for a law firm that sued banks to force them to make these ridiculous sub prime, interest only loans. And guess who was lead counsel in the suit they filed against Citi????? Yes...sad to say....it was the "The One" (aka Mr. Hope and Change).....jeeez. In any event....I was expecting you Obama loyalists to put the blame on Bush and Cheney....and oh yea...Halliburton too. You guys seem to be forgetting about them these days. But quite honestly, that rhetoric is getting very old. The issue is not who or even what caused it. The issue is how are you going to repair it. So I have one question: (and I know I will never get a direct answer because that never happens here) And it is as follows: Assuming the worst......and indeed it is really all of Bush's and Company's fault, how long are you going to give Obama a free pass for not making things better. When (or if) your economic situation continues to worsen at what point will you start to blame Obama and all of the tax cheaters, as well as lobbyists (yep....Obama lied about that too) ? Remember, I am giving you the benefit of assuming Bush made this mess. So, is Obama really that great, that awesome, The One..so to speak, to the extent that even with the passage of time, as things may get worse, he gets no blame for at a minimum, not doing anything right to repair the situation. Me thinks that if things get much worse....look for huge Republican gains in the mid term elections....and 2012 will be tough one ..if not impossible for Obama in 2012. What you guys seem to be forgetting is that Obama himself...only a couple of weeks ago said, if things don't get better, "In 2012 you will have a new president." Yep....that is a direct quote. So...how long does the free ride last folks? Me thinks not even until Thanksgiving. People hated Bush. But down the line people will quickly forget Bush and look at their pocketbooks, and if they are still hurting, they will no longer be cursing out Bush and instead the Obama will become the dirty word. Anyway.....I really did not make this post to comment about who is to blame for our economic woes. If some of you would go back and read the post, you will find it has much more to do with my disagreement with Obama's fundamental ideology about how things should be. I am not a socialist and Obama is. My knowledge of Obama.....without question goes further than anyone on this site and that is not because he lives three miles from me and it is not because my sister worked on his first STATE SENATE not US senate campaign and therefore to this day has a friendship with him although the don't speak often, it is because of his ideas. In Colombia, you better pull weight. No welfare. No foods tamps. No public housing. No Bankruptcy laws. No Aide to families with dependent children (AFDC) . Nobody is going to pay or renegotiate the terms of your mortgage because you are moronic enough to buy a house you cannot afford. Starting to get the point? Colombia,,,,you look better and better everyday....FARC or no FARC. And so says G5 Oh....one more thing.....what's this thing about TinnFoil? Oh another thing. 4 Goals in 10 games? No team in all CONMEBOL has done worse. Colombia's patina of being a great competitive futbol team is just a thing of the past. Hell even last place Peru managed to score 5 goals.

Gomezman5 comments on Where are all the Uribe haters now?

Oh I would imagine there are not too many Uribe haters out there in the first place. Although, everyone knows that the sentiments of this web site is not exactly in line with the sentiments of a majority of Colombians. After all, it took the popularity of Uribe to finally change the constitution so that he could run (and win by a landslide) for a second term anyway. Even then, his popularity has continued to be greater than 70%.....close to 80% if my memory serves me correct. Above said, I find it difficult that Colombians on this forum could possible find much fault with Uribe. Ooooopps, I forgot. Uribe happens to be Bush's greatest ally in all of Latin America. In fact, with the exception of the UK's former Tony Blair, and what's his name???...from Down Under, Bush and Uribe is about as close as it gets. Uribe likes those dollars and wants them to keep rolling in. So, after all is said, to many on this forum, if you are a supporter of Bush, you cannot be good.....hence Uribe is not too popular here. So Simon, don't expect the Uribe detractors to change their views on Uribe any time soon.

Gomezman5 comments on PBH Golden Oldies--Gomezman5's Philsophical Musings on the "Art Of a PBH Arguement"

First of all huskie, you may be kinda new to these parts, but wiskerias are NOT new. Secondly, a wiskeria is NOT a whore house. It is a place to meet woman, drink with them, dance with them, and get to know them. You do pay an inflated price for drinks because they get a cut of the cost. But by American standards, the drinks are dirt cheap, so who cares. Most importantly, there is almost never.....if ever anything "happening" on the premises. Furthermore, some girls go there simply to meet a guy to have a good time with, and not necessarily in a sexual way. For examply, about 15 years ago I went to one and I sat and drank with a girl for hours. The next day, she was my personal tour guide when we went to Zipaquira. She was a university student, and that was how she covered her tuition. Of course most of them will end up going to a nearby hotel. However, if they don't like you, or don't present yourself in a way that they feel comfortable, they will not go with you. Quite honestly, there is very little difference between going to a wiskeria, and going to an American club in any major city looking for the "one night stand", but for the fact that Colombian women are smart enough to not "give it" away. I suspect the price is determined by how much they like you. Bottom line, to call a wiskeria a whore house.....is.....quite inaccurate. Consider yourself enlightened huskie

Gomezman5 comments on PBH Golden Oldies--Gomezman5's Philsophical Musings on the "Art Of a PBH Arguement"

So that is the extent of what I'm known for huh? I don't think Simon, and Juanalejo would agree. Our rather lively debates never centered around where a guy could find a place to screw some hot young chica. Nobody needs me to enlighten them about the virtues of wiskerias. If a goes to Bogota and cannot find one, then he is dumber than a box of rocks. Hell, all you have to do is walk on most of the main streets of the north side at night, and the wiskeria will find you. They always have their agents in the street either handing you cards and they are more than happy to take you there personally.

Gomezman5 comments on PBH Golden Oldies--Gomezman5's Philsophical Musings on the "Art Of a PBH Arguement"

It took me a few weeks, but......... Here I am. I thought that only Colombiano X (CX) generated so much debate and controversy after he left. Well, I never made any declarations that I was leaving. Just got bored, at times fed up with the echo chamber mentality, and then moved on. In any event, I am happy to see that I was able to break the monotony around here.

Gomezman5 comments on How to Rid this Site of TROLLS

Now hold on a minute........I thought since I took a hiatus from this site, all would be peaceful and tranquil....? Can it possibly be that others come here only for the purpose of starting wars.I did not know that I had competition in that regard. As to charging a fee...? What the hell good would that do? For those that come here soley for the purpose of making so many peoples' lives miserable, they would still be getting off (no pun intended) fairly cheaply if all they had to do is pay 5 bucks for the right to do so.

Gomezman5 comments on I hear that there are lots of birds in Colombia. Any other bird watchers on PBH?

Both of the above birds are Amazons. The first one is probably a Yellow Fronted Amazon Colombia has more species of birds than any other country in the world. Most people think that there are still many others that have yet to have been discovered/named due to the fact that many of these birds exist in areas where bird watchers dare not go. In fact, not too many years ago, several bird watchers were kidnapped........even after being warned not to go to the areas that had gone in spite of the warnings.

Gomezman5 comments on Hi guys, I was assaulted with a gun @ gym in Medellin...yikes...looking for advice-

Goodness.....incredible. I leave this place for a few months, check back in, and it as if I never left. Nothing changes here. This is about the only place I know where life stands still. In any event......as almost always, I too have to agree with GIB. Colombia is not the place where you pick up the phone, call 911, a cop shows up, you sign complaint, a guy arrested, charged with a crime, and then must show up in court in a month....where you of course get to testify against him. Different world. Different rules. If I were you msherry, if you see a problem on the horizon, swallow your pride and walk away. If you don't, you can be sure that you being the outsider, are at a distinct advantage in any confrontation of that nature. If ya want to live in Colombia......brace yourself for the ride of a sort you're not used to.

Gomezman5 comments on Sicarios killed bar owner´s wife in Envigado

"Does anyone of you guys know how often something like this still happens in Medellin?" You cannot be serious....are you? I am falling of my chair in laughter. Have you been getting your information about Colombia from the Go Go boys and girls on this web site? Look, Colombia is STILL a very dangerous place. Why does this surprise you. Goodness God, what is it with people in this world. "How does this still happen" lol, lol. I can't stop the laughter.

Gomezman5 comments on Colombia via Panama - Advice please...

Your wasting your time. If you have a 6 hour layover in Panama, you would be crazy to leave the airport and risk losing missing your flight to Col. While Gator never encountered any security issues.....that is unimportant. What is important is that you have to go through security procedures all over again. No shortcuts. Things happen. Lines can be long, depending on how many travelers there are, and how well security is working that day. Also, there is NOTHING to see in Panama City except the Canal and the canal being a tourist site, has a lot of people, and it is not near the airport. Lastly, if you have been to Miami....tell yourself you have been to Panama (but for the canal). They are so similar. You have to keep in mind that by tourism standards, Panama is at the bottom of the list. It's a commercial center, one of the most important commercial centers in all of Latin America. It's fuckin' hot and humid, and that's about it. Stay focused, and DON'T leave the airport. 6 hours will pass in no time. Keep in mind it's not really 6 hours because you should be there an hour and a half before hand anyway.....even if you are "in transit". You need to be at your gate an hour before the flight takes off. Hence, there is no reason to leave.

Gomezman5 comments on Have the US economic problems , hit Colombia yet?

"Have the US economic problems , hit Colombia yet?" You guys cannot be serious? Economic problems of the US? What economic problems? Are there any. Unemployment is very low. But for the last 6 weeks, the stock market has been spectacular for the last four years, which included record setting gains that were achieved only a couple of months ago. That said, you cannot judge the stock market based on how good or bad it has performed in the last month. Home prices have gone down, but that is expected. Homes should have never increased in value at 15-20% per year in the first place. Interest rates are STILL low and anyone who is buying a new home today, should not hesitate to lock in a very favorabe interest rate for 30 years......or 15 years if you can afford the payments. The US census bureau just gave a report about the poverty level. Consider the following facts that can be derived from the findings of the US Census Bureau. (From Captain' Quarters Blog) Poverty has always been a judgment call, relative to a standard of living that serves as a mean for comparative purposes. In America, the system most often used is the one Rector employs for his study -- a relative comparison naturally based on income. He takes the bottom quintile of households based on income and looks at the living conditions -- and finds that the Dickensian images evoked by the word poverty does not apply in the US, at least in most cases. The poor in America live in the following conditions: * 43% of the poor own their homes, and the average home is a three-bedroom house with a garage and 1.5 bathrooms * Over two-thirds of households have two rooms per occupant, which belies the notion of overcrowding * 80% of the poor have air conditioning * Almost 75% own one car; 31% own two or more * The average living space for the American poor is larger than the average space for all people in Paris, Vienna, and London, among other cities in Europe Hence, it does not appear that living in poverty (by US standards) is not all that bad of an experience......the type of experience that most Colombians would be more than happy to experience if given the opportunity to do so. (That's why most Colombians would gladly live here)......Yes most. I know you dreamers have a hard time believing that. So.......where are the problems? Colombia only wished they had these kind of problems.

Gomezman5 comments on Colombia is not safe , but I like it

Exactly Vic......my sentiments exactly...

Gomezman5 comments on Colombia is not safe , but I like it

No Tinto, they don't argue per se over parrots. Actually, I think they get a little nuts sometimes. Here, according to our esteemed moderation, nasty attacks, words included, are allowed, as long it in some way attacks the idea or what someone said and not the person. On the other hand, in the parrot forum just the tone of your post can get you censored. For example, if you tell someone that you should do such and such, if you don't state that is your opinion, it is interpreted as being to strong of language. In other words, I think they over do it there. If we applied the same standards here, 80% of the regulars here would have been sanctioned. They do one interesting thing though. Any kind of profanity.....any kind....even damn, shit and hell, will appear as an asterisk (*). It is not edited. It appears right after you click the post button. They must have a program for this. And Vic.....yes, I left you out.....you're a great person and I have a lot of respect for you. Even when we have disagreed......(have we?) we are diplomatic.

Gomezman5 comments on Colombia is not safe , but I like it

CDG.... It's funny. I checked in here for the first time in a week or so, and the first thing I see is a thread with over 230 posts. I then thought that this thread can only be about one of two things:1. A combination of something involving Colombian women (girlfriends, a wife, prostitutes etc) or 2. Security............and Bingo.....how well I know this place. Security it was. Look, I don't know who you are, but as much as your opening post is well intentioned, and for the most part correct, you really are wasting your time. No matter how well you set out your argument, no matter how logical it is, no matter how many stats, and sources to support those stats you cite, there are a bunch of goofs here that would not accept the information. These people would not believe you no matter what you write. It's a sorry state of affairs, but such is the case. So many people have come and gone from this site, all the while making the same points, only to be blasted from here to oblvion by a bunch of people who find that the easiest way to debate this very issue is to just hurl personal insult after insult at the proponent of such an argument, with the hope of making people "just go away." {can't spell, poor grammar, bad Colombian, Cracker Jack lawyer (moderation said that) are just some examples] Of course, it works, inasmuch as moderation sits quietly on the sidelines, cheering on the attack squad, while at the same time making only token efforts to curtail the conduct. In the end, moderation can say they tried, (and they really think they did) and life returns to normal until the next person comes along. In fact, suffice to say, only GIB and myself, are the only people that have really stuck around. If there is a shining light in all of this, it is the same or almost the same people that lead the charge all the time. So it really should be easy for moderation to stop this. Obviously moderation does not frequent many web sites, because I have seen the moderators clamp down for far lessor things on the parrot forum I participate in. Anyway, good comment.

Gomezman5 comments on Colombia, Drugs, and trying to Change an Image.

This is really cool.....you're gone. Goin south.....you are just gone. I clicked on "ignore user" and I can't find any of your gibberish. No stay there...or here, or .......? Ha ha. I have never used this tool. SO Goin south, you can just keep writing and writing. You will see it. Everyone else will see it, but I see nothing of yours........have fun.

Gomezman5 comments on Colombia, Drugs, and trying to Change an Image.

Robert Jorge.....welcome to the party..............but before you comment, and take what I have said out of context, I suggest that you READ THE ENTIRE THREAD. You obviously DID NOT. Because, if you would have done so, you would have understood my point. My point, as explained throughout the thread, is that given the how few Colombians there actually are in the US, they STILL represent a disproportionately high number of drug arrests. I did not say that most Colombians with visas are involved in drug trafficking, but only that their numbers remain quite high. You don't have to debate me, the federal government keeps these statistics. May I also add that you guys have a tendency to just overlook the obvious.....simple logic by the way. Lastly, since so much of the world's illicit drugs comes from Colombia, don't you think that it stands to reason that Colombia is still going to have the most trafficers? How do you think the drugs leave there? Ya think Captain Kirk just beams them over to the US.......One more thing, it was Colombia that put the Mexicans in the drug business in fhe first place....or don't you all remember that?

Gomezman5 comments on Colombia, Drugs, and trying to Change an Image.

Goin South, I have not responded to your comment because I would have hoped you would have realized how silly they were. However, you either did not understand my posts (for some unknown reasons) or you really are quite ignorant of reality. I spell it our for you. Mexicans as a people out number Colombians to such a great degree, that if you added up all of the other Latino/hispanic groups together.....everyone...from each and every country, the number of Mexican people still blows away the number of other hispanic/Latinos. Are following me or is this still over your head? Don't believe me? Try doing a simple Google search. It only took me about 30 seconds to come up with the stats you so vitally demand, but were either too lazy, or incapable of finding yourself......Behold: pewhispanic.org/files/factsheets/2.pdf Now, given the fact that the number of Colombian people in the US is so small, small enough that if every one left the country right now, the overall change in Latino population percentage wise would not even move an entire percentage point, I find it particularly disgusting that a disproportionate share of them are involved in illegal activities. You and Mr. Simon should check the DEA, FBI, and Chicago Police Dept stats and they can tell you how incredibly high the number of Colombian related drug arrests are. Sure, in raw numbers, more Mexicans are arrested. Gee I wonder why....Hmmmm. Maybe because they have a border to sneak accress? Or, maybe because Colombia has gotten several billion dollars in aide to fight the drug war with all of this money being sent directly to Colombia?? Or maybe it is something else. I know two things. Almost all of the Drugs brought in by Colombians, are brought in by Colombians who were issued a tourist visa by the US, and then they abused their visas by hauling drugs in here. Let me tell you something....a lot of Americans hate Colombians for that very reason. Day after day, the Colombians that end up getting arrested are those that come here just to bring in drugs. Why do you think that it takes so fucking long to get your luggage at MIA? Why do you think the dogs search all the bags before they get dropped off ? You know, you guys talk such nonsense, I don't even know how you really can subscribe to what you say. So there you are Goin South..... you have your answer. You have your numbers.,.,the very same ones that you were incapable of finding yourself.....for some reason or another.

Gomezman5 comments on Colombia, Drugs, and trying to Change an Image.

Simon.....you live in Colombia. I live in the US. Do you really think that read or hear as much crap about Colombia as I do? Man if you were here in Chicago, I think you would go "postal". Now, quite to the contrary, most of the non Colombians on this forum are crazy about Colombia......(albeit not always for the best of reasons) But, with the exception of the interloping troll, I think most of the non Colombians participating here, really only see or concentrate on the positive aspects of this forum. OK....look, it don't want to turn this into war ...I just wanted to make a point, for whatever it's worth......Anyway......Mario......find that Cockatiel!!! If you want anymore suggestions, go to this web site: http://www.lovethosetiels.net/ The moderator/owner is Carrie Anne, tell her that Marcos sent you to her.......She may have some ideas

Gomezman5 comments on Colombia, Drugs, and trying to Change an Image.

Wow Mario.....I am really sorry to hear that........You know my (our) soft spot for our FIDS. that is why my Maxie's feather will ALWAYS will be clipped. Only 4-5 of his primary flight feathers are trimmed, so that he has some flight.....only enough to allow for forward thrust, so he can make soft landings, but not enough to allow him to ascend into flight. Anyway........I don't know Mario, don't be too hard on her. She is probably heart broken. As to the chances of the bird returning.....don't mean to sound negative, but I am sure you know, they are poor. The accelerated metabolism requires that they have water and food quickly. No more that 72 hours. Also, it has no natural flock to protect it. Lastly, it is domesticated. It is very very scared, it does not know where to forage for food, and it it probably up in a tree trying to figure out its next move. But all we can do is pray and hope for the best. Hints though.....and they work...sometimes... 1. Do you have a Craigslist? If so, post an ad there. 2.like I said, he is probably scared and is not too far. Walk the neighborhood calling for him. He may fly back. If he has bonded to your daughter....let her do the walking since he will fly more readily to the person he has bonded to. 3. Put the cage outside. 4. Poster the neighborhood for blocks with a picture ---include contact info 5. Place signs in your local convenience store---again contact info OK......so this is what some of the people have done on my Parrot forum and sometimes it works. And Portena.....as to someone's cockatiel returning "several months later"......sorry, that will not happen. The bird could never survive in the wild that long. If Mario cannot recover the bird in the next few days, the best he can hope for is that someone else found the bird, realized it was a pet bird, and then took it in to their home to be their pet And.....last but not least Simon. Look, the situation is what it is. I cannot help it if a huge section of our people, cannot find enough ways to defame our people. I know it kills you to hear someone else say it, and it kills you even more to see that a fellow Colombian says it, but pushing it under the rug does nothing to solve the problem. I took the above right off of the home page of the DEA web site. Suffice to say, if you have a problem with people exposing the TRUTH about certain negative traits that seem to be prevalent among our people, contact the DEA and let them know that you don't approve of them defaming your (our) people. This is a forum about Colombia, and it's places like these where matters of this nature need to be discussed. I think Mario agrees with me because all though he is not Colombian, he is as close to being Colombian as you can get, he is married to one and he has given his life to her, so he probably gets sick and tired of hearing the negative crap, but at the same time, he gets pissed when he hears about people that act in such a way that serves only to reinforce the negative stigma..........

Gomezman5 comments on Colombia, Drugs, and trying to Change an Image.

I'll tell ya critter, it pisses me off to no end when I run into people....educated people in fact, that upon finding out that I am an attorney, start asking me if I am defending all of my fellow countrymen. I tell them, sometime to their amazement, that we re NOT all in the drug trade. So you see, that no matter how much progress we appear to be making, it's stuff like the above, plastered all over the home page of the DEA web site, that makes me wonder. Sure, everyone knows about how involved the Mexicans are, but proportionally speaking, the numbers are almost non existant. Here in Chicago, when you think of Mexicans, you think of factory workers, the guys that "bus" the tables in restaurants, auto mechanics, painteres, landscapers, and on and on.....and of course you recognize that these guys came here to do jobs that Americans used to do, but they work harder, and get paid less. As a result, nobody give a hoot about the 1 in a 1000 Mexican that is caught in the drug trade.

Gomezman5 comments on Happy Birthday SANTA FÉ DE BOGOT� !!!!

No it has a "Y" instead of an "A". What's happening?

Gomezman5 comments on Happy Birthday SANTA FÉ DE BOGOT� !!!!

Hey.....what happened to my "A" in Bogota'? All I see is a square. I don't even have a key for that figure.....(a box)

Gomezman5 comments on Who's Your Daddy now?

Here in the US......it goes just like this...... If you love your in laws, (both or any one of them) you call them dad/mom If you really don't care for them, or you are neutral, you would never call them dad/mom If you don't feel much either way, you call them by their first name In general....that is the way it is. As to Colombia, honestly.....I really don't know, and many others on here would know more than myself.

Gomezman5 comments on Lifestyle... Cartagena vs. Bogota

I have to agree with many of the above. Bogota', hands down. Cartagena is as touristy as you can get. It's great for a long weekend, but to compare it to Bogota is just silly. In fact, comparing the two cities is like comparing apples to oragnes. Bogota is very cosmopolitan, a city where there is a lot to do all the time. Cartagena, has it's beach, the Old City, more beach, ....and that's it. Worst of all, it is one of the hottest and most humid places on earth. I hate the climate.

Gomezman5 comments on

I'm late in entering this thread. But I will say this Simon and I have had are share of disagreements. However, in the instances where I have agreed with him, I have done so without reservation. Today, without question, I fully supportive of every word that he has written in this thread. He clearly has a firm grasp of the political climate, and most importantly the contributions that Uribe has made to Colombia. Good Job Simon It astonishes me how there are people who can talk about how the situation has improved in Colombia, and how they seem to be unable to link the improvment to the hard line approach of Uribe. By comparison, Pastrana, a fool, who quite literally was made to look like a fool by Tirufijo, was horrible at trying to bring stability and security to the country. As the "old guard" around here knows, few people have been as cirtical of Colombia's security situation as I have. And I have taken a lot of heat for doing so. But I too, have come to realize over time that while we may not be where we should be, we are moving in the right direction. And yes, the article is biased....very biased against Uribe. They talk about the few hecklers that made some noise. Did they bother to mention that a clear majority of the people who attended were sympatheitic and supportive of Uribe's agenda....of course not. Another thing. There are those goofs on this web site that keep talking about how much better things are in Colombia, and as I have already stated above, i will concur. But, while they ar quick to criticize Uribe, if they don't think that Uribe was primarily responsible for this turn for the postive, then what other reasons can they provide for the positive trend? Things just don't happen. Colombia, with it's longest running civil war, didn't just take a turn for the better. Uribe, through his diplomatic relations.....principally with Washington and BUSH, so as to keep the funds coming for Plan Colombia have made a difference. I am not saying that it is THE difference, but it certainly is a vital part of Colombia's improving situation. But, therein lies the problem, there are so many Bush bashers on this web site, that part of the reason that they hate Uribe, is the fact that Uribe and Bush have been, and continue to be so close.........Bush haters can't stand that, and as a result, the Bush haters hate Uribe. It's called being guilty by association. So let me get this right. Colombia is doing better, but you will not give credit to Uribe, and you cannot attribute the credit to anybody or anything else. Oh yea, that makes sense.....but I forgot, this is PBH, who looks for common sense here? Lastly, Simon....and apparently Monpirri, another Uribe supporter (man I have a double hit today) recoginze that the Colombian Constituion was changed for Uribe to run for a second term, and with that change, Uribe walked into a second term with.....for the most part unprecidented numbers. What does that mean? It means that Uribe enjoys a level of popularity in Colombia that Bush only dreams of having, and it means that if Uribe has made one mistake, it was agreeing to participate in this forum, so as to enable the haters of Bush and Bush's friends, to write slanted articles, and take pot shots at man that has done a good job, and still enjoys strong support at home. Keep up the Good Work Alvaro.........Hope to see you in Chicago some day.My home is yours

Gomezman5 comments on

You weren't? You made a definite statement about what you think the standards should be for the posting of pictures......and that said, this thread is about whether Tomtom's picture is objectionable isn't it? I think that it is fair to say that there was a direct relationship between your post and the picture at issue......at least by inference there is.... OK.....if I am wrong. I am wrong. But if it was not TomTom's pic, then what were you making a reference to? Hmmm OK. That Gomexman, and his taking things way out of context again..... As to the Oak Street Beach.....I live 5 minutes from there, right on Lake Shore Drive, which of course is accross the street from Lake Michigan. I have not been to the beach, Oak Street or any other in over 10 years. Too many people, and people getting run over by roller bladers or bicyclists. It's the "Me first" attitude that prevails out there. On the other hand, if you ever get down ot our beautiful city, I would be happy to reaquaint myself if you so desire to re visit. I am not quite as bad in person.....in fact....I am far less argumentative,espcially if I know you are a guest to the city. I imagine though that my chance of meeting you is about as good as my chance of meeting Juanalejo. I keep offering to buy the first beer, and he tells me to get lost. On the other hand.......I am missing a lot of bueatiful ladies that hang out up along that way. So maybe I will venture that way soon.

Gomezman5 comments on MEXICO - MEXICANA REVIEWS...ANYONE?

I cannot speak to the immigration ...customs issue in regards to who you are. That is an issue that is totally unrelated to the airlines, and what their performance is. I have flow Mexicana several times from Chicago to various cities in Mexico---most commonly, Guadalajara Jalisco. Their service is excellent. .....far better than American's. I flew them even though I was in American's frequent flyer program (American Advantage). I have to think that you will not have any problems with Mexicana. Keep in mind, if you are flying from Mexico City, the availability of planes and timeliness of departure is much more likely with Mexicana than any other airlines because they have so many planes and flight crews. If you fly another airline, and the plane breaks down or something, you might have a more difficult time getting to your destination.....

Gomezman5 comments on

A few points. Tinto says: "Photos of other people - wives, husbands, family members - ought to be fine, but don't post photos of the latest fufarufa who kept you company over the weekend.' Tinto, how do you know what Tomtom's relationship is with the girl in the photo. Don't you think you are being a bit presumptuous in that comment....not to mention insulting to one of our members....in this case Tomtom. If you are going to justify a policy, at least make sure you have your cards in order, and you can back up your presumptions, in this case, you clearly cannot. Ya see, that's is what makes this web site....very UN COLOMBIAN. I highly doubt many people in Colombia would make an issue out of the posting of such a pic.....I am sure of that. I guess some people want to see Colombia the way they want to see it, and not for what it is. There is nothing objectionable about the pic. In fact, if one were to apply Tinto's logic, if I guy posted a nude picture of his wife, that would be fine, because the issue is not how the person is displayed, the issue is who (a fufurafa supposedly) the person is. I would suggest tht one of the members should find a girl that you have a serious relationship, maybe even your wife, take a few pics of her topless, and then put up one of those. That would be acceptable because she is not a Fufurafa. Political correctness and liberalism go hand in hand. I am quite sure if a lesbian woman had put up a pic of her lesbian girlfriend, that would be OK. Or if a Gay man put up a suggestive picture of his partner, that would be OK too. But God forbid a man puts up a suggestive pic of his girlfriend........get the point? BTW....Morphus, the only thing that is a shame about Monica getting married is that I did not get to meet her before she happened to do so.

Gomezman5 comments on

Clavo.....get your culo over there and restore order.. On the other hand, why isn't GIB taking care of things.....?

Gomezman5 comments on

Crime is on the upswing in Bogota? That cannot be possible. I will have to check that out with the likes of Hollywood and Juanalejo. And to think that you are saying this just one day after I read that Human Rights Watch made the declaration that Colombia had the distinct honor of being the country that is at the head of the pack, for being the country with the highest number of landmine victims in the world. Quote BBC: "Human Rights Watch says more than 1,000 people were killed by anti-personnel mines in Colombia last year, up from less than 300 in 2001" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/6916820.stm Now that is progress. Oh...GIB, as I understand it, (via Todelar Basica) that they are protesting security problems in general.....not just because of the recent killings. In other words, this is coming. I also understand that they are blocking certain key point on the Transmilenio. Here that Hollywood and company......stay home.

Gomezman5 comments on Colon & Lavoe -- Pa Colombia....

Yo se Lo mejor siempre esta atras

Gomezman5 comments on First India post yey

Peter, I don't know a damn thing about India.........but if you love the food.......fly over to Chicago one weekend and we can go on Devon Ave.......2-3 miles worth of cuisine from India. Those spices take a little getting used to if have not had real Indian Food. On Devon, they have it all.....especially the buffets......vegetarian ones too. They are so reasonably priced, I don't know how they make money for the amount, and quality of food that they serve. http://www.yelp.com/biz/m1IVpXClMox1VGw5hO2LhQ Tiffin.......this place is great.....go there all the time http://www.tiffinrestaurants.com/ General guide to eateries from India on Devon in Chigo http://jump.suntimes.com/list.cfm?tag=devon If you ever get here, we can go together........you will love it. BTW, if you have an lady friends from India, there are plenty of Jewelry stores that carry the stuff they like,,,,,,and Sari shops too.

Gomezman5 comments on Trolls

See..... I disappear for a few weeks, and all hell breaks loose. What did I miss?

Gomezman5 comments on MARRIAGE AGENCY

I knew that I would find something interesting in this thread on an otherwise fairly boring Saturday night. Hey.....you guys forgot the rules......nothing about where to find women damn it. When will you all learn? Oh I see, moderation is asleep. Hmmmm, not to sure about that. Desi is an early riser. She should be popping out of bed soon.

Gomezman5 comments on MARRIAGE AGENCY

As if there aren't enough marriage agencies in Colombia, somebody comes along with a brilliant idea that leads them to think that another one is needed. So much for being creative. On the other hand, the fact that there are dozens if not hundreds there already, only means that some of these people are making money. Who knows?

Gomezman5 comments on Colombian radio

Is anybody interested in updating and/or amending the information of this list........? Some of it seems out of date. In the past, I had used this a fairly reliable link to connect to radio stations.

Gomezman5 comments on

Now that pic is enough to wake me up out of my chair.......yep.....I'm wide awake....but shit, what good is it. Art, look, don't worry about anything down there in Cali. You don't need much money if you just one of those types of girls in above pic. If you want all of them......then get another job. Open a wiskeria.but they don't call them that in Cali though.

Gomezman5 comments on this one goes out for mexican lovers.. check this out Elmo (et al.)

Screwed up the title.....another example of my sensational typing ability "El Guey Mas Chingon" ......(not Chinon)

Gomezman5 comments on this one goes out for mexican lovers.. check this out Elmo (et al.)

Actually, this one is dedicated to .........oh any one of you guys that just hates Mexico or anything Mexican.................This video is funny as hell Presenting: "El Guey Mas Chinon" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-NYGeGj6X8

Gomezman5 comments on this one goes out for mexican lovers.. check this out Elmo (et al.)

Gabolicios, You really did not do to good of a job at showing the how the word "Guey" is used in an everyday situation. This video tells the story the story: "La caida de Edgar" PLEASE GIVE SPECIAL ATTENTION TO THIS LINE..... "Ya Guey, Pinche Pendejo Guey Ya" (spoken like a real Mexican) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1otnGrpQrDQ&eurl=http://64.233.167.104/search?q=cache:b1z9xclmsC0J:oclcyc.wordpress.com/2006/05/13/edgar-un-nuevo-heroe-ya-guey-pinche-

Gomezman5 comments on this one goes out for mexican lovers.. check this out Elmo (et al.)

Yes Simon....I have been mourning the loss all this time. lol. Hardly. First of all I predicted the loss......it's in writing....from me....in a post......in the other thread. So big deal. But today I am celebrating again. Today, Mexico with a clear and convincing win over Uruguay, took third place for sure, and thereby demonstrated that is better than almost every team in CONMEBOL. That is a certainty. I am just trying to decide if I want Argentina or Brazil. In some ways I want Brazil. That can only make Mexico look all that much better if they beat Argentina. Why? The answer is obvious. Mexico beat Brazil in the very first game, so if Brazil can beat Argentina, eve though Mex lost to Argentina, it will clearly show that Mexico ranks with the best South America teams....which I knew, and said so before the tournament began anyway...... Mexico, you did great....nothing to be ashamed of. And in one week, Blanco comes to the Chicago Fire...

Gomezman5 comments on this one goes out for mexican lovers.. check this out Elmo (et al.)

Good......now for sure I know I am not Mexican. I did not get the point of at least half of those points. Maybe Simon or Monpirri can explain them to me. I do admit though, some of them were kinda humorous

Gomezman5 comments on Colombians Live Better In Colombia Then In Boston

Some of you guys make it sound as if Boston is the only option. Boston is an expensive city to live in....even for most Americans. I don't know anyone who moved from any part of the US to Boston unless they had family there, or they had a job opportunity that was more than just a dream. Above said, then obviously it is not going to be a good city for Colombian to move to if they don't know English. On the other hand, if, like Rubito point out, if you are a proffessional that is able to work here in the US, Boston might be as good as place as any to live. Like Mike said, Miami cannot compare from a cultural perspective....not in any way, with Boston. For example, if you are a physical thereapist if Colombia, you speak English, and you can procure the H1b visa to work in Boston, the pay will be excellent. You will live in a good area, you will be able to enjoy doing things in Boston that you could never do in Colombia because you did not have enough money to do it, and lastly, as well as most importantly, you will have money to send back home to support your family.....Hence,......let someone tell me how a person in such a position would not be better off living in Boston than Colombia.........You will not be able to do so.

Gomezman5 comments on Copa America ...Mexico 3 Paraguay 0

Su actitud? No es importa. El sabe como jugar futbol. No es mi negocio que hace el afuera de la concha. El es un GANADOR

Gomezman5 comments on

I actually like Aguila....it's not bad. But, sad as I am to say, Gomex knows very well, and so do most others, that Mexican beer rolls over Colombian beer.......hands down. My favs; Like Elmo, Dos XX---great Pacifico---also great...slightly sweet Model Especial ....not amber though Not one Colombian beer holds a candle to those three.