manINred has left 1649 comments

manINred comments on Ross Kemp On Gangs-Colombia

I don't think the documentary itself is rubbish, he brings up some interesting points. There are some factually questionable statements however that make me wonder. I still think he did a good job in trying to expose this and that, and the bloke who wrote this line, "Don´t see a country how you want to see it, see it how it acually is." is spot on. Keeping in mind your own experience with a given thing, one can only begin to understand how something really is by analyzing it from a variety of different perspectives. Kemp's perspective and take on things, where at least he tries to dig deep into Colombia's underworld past/present, is perfectly valid, despite what many who think they know better want to believe.

manINred comments on Ross Kemp On Gangs-Colombia

"The aston Villa shirt had the name "Angel" which comes from the Colombian player, Juan pablo Angel who used to play for Aston Villa. " I am aware of that, but the Birmingham team that is not one of the world's well-known is interestingly juxtaposed in Colombia, that's all I am pointing out. When I lived in Medellin, I lived down the road from Angel's house, well, where he grew up. Don't think he would live there anymore.

manINred comments on Ross Kemp On Gangs-Colombia

At least he's trying to show one side of the world hardly known at all to Britain. My main question is... why on earth is the sicaro wearing an Aston Villa shirt??? Not too far from home for Mr. Kemp ;)

manINred comments on What is A Paramiltitary Group?

I do not think one can look as paramilitaries as 'good' or 'bad'. It doesn't really work like that. But to think of them as boy scouts for gringos is patently absurd. I read a quote that claimed paramilitaries never had any legitimacy... that is simply untrue. They certainly maintained a lot of legitimacy in rural Colombia where populations would rely on them for the protection that a weak state could not provide.

manINred comments on After Uribe-Who?

Slguy, I agree! Colombians like Uribe despite what many would have us believe, and he maintains huge legitimate support, despite what many would have us believe, and Colombians know what's best for them, not foreigners. That's all that matters. Hopefully Uribe's clone will be 'after' Uribe ;)

manINred comments on Hasta donde la libertad de expresión???

Paleolitico... enfoca en el otro lado del argumento... Uribe = casi Dios, uno de los mejores politicos del mundo :) Pues, es popular, es el presidente, y ya! Siempre hara gente en contra de el, no hay nada que podes hacer para evitar eso. Lo importante es que este hombre es tu presidente, el presidente de Colombia.

manINred comments on Message from GIB

I have no choice but to think of it as a Colombian/Ecuadorian pronblem. Hell, I've been on it down there (not by choice). I have never ever seen this in Canada or Europe, most people have never heard of it. Its use is much more widespread in Colombia, that much is certain.

manINred comments on Message from GIB

This is a disturbing story. There are a variety of drugs that can knock one out like this in Colombia. I suppose it just goes to show that complacency is never an option in Colombia, and barring a non-lack of complacency, bad luck can strike at any time. Oh well, such is life.

manINred comments on best way to send money to the girlfriend

Western Union is probably the cheapest and most efficient. Bank wires have a tendency to mess up from time to time. Perhaps a bank draft? But it might get lost in the mail.

manINred comments on Hasta donde la libertad de expresión???

"Está bien que él no sea partidario de Uribe, pero compararlo con un monstruo como Hitler abiertamente en una página pública es completamente ofensivo y yo protesto por esto!." La verdad es que yo estoy de acuerdo con eso. Claro que es su 'derecho' decir cosas asi, pero me parece muy maluco y mal hecho con una comparacion tan ridicula. De todas formas es el internet, nada mas... a quien le importa lo que dice cualquiera por una pagina web? Hay que ignorar las opiniones que le caen mal... y ya. En fin... to each his own.

manINred comments on

American, you make extremely good points. I know a 'middle class' family in Medellin who hit some very difficult times... where's the support? There is none. They had to tape their shoes and skimp out on basic food commodities just to make rent payments. I see so much misery and poverty in Colombia when I go, it's such a shame, with a war to boot.

manINred comments on Colombia as "Failed State"

What the heck? I wrote a long piece with some good info and insight a couple of hours ago (well I think) and it didn't show up! Ohhhhhh so tedious, oh well. Damn computers!

manINred comments on Colombia as "Failed State"

"Colombia was not ANYWHERE closed to a failed state, not like Somalia with no government, no law and order, nothing except warring tribes and groups of bandits" Yes it was. I refer you readings by top political scientists, some of the most insightful academic minds to write about the subject at hand: Chapter 9 in "Readings in Latin American Politics: Challenges to Democratization" by Kingstone (2006, Houghton Mifflin) is dedicated to Colombia. It is called Chapter 9; Colombia: The Collapse of the State In this chapter are articles written by Browitt: Capital Punishment: The Fragmentation of Colombia and the Crisis of the Nation-State (2001), and others which I cannot be bothered to type out. Where the rule of law had such little legitimacy, where the state had such delicate and feeble reach, where the nation was one of the world's most dangerous and violent, that was considered a failed state, especially in a Latin American context.

manINred comments on The French Just Don't Get It-Not At All

Hey, the people of Zimbabwe must officially be retarded then, what lowlifes, with their president Robert Mugabe, one of the biggest pieces of shits on the planet. Iraqis are mass murderers (and inherently arrogant and evil) etc... etc...

manINred comments on The French Just Don't Get It-Not At All

I am writing this in response to the person who wrote: "'I've been accused here of disrespecting the French-it's true because they are such burros" Yes, well, are we to blame the entire French race for the acts of their government? Are they all stupid, as we so often enjoy to claim? Well, quite frankly. it is xenophobic and arrogant to insult the French based on certain acts of their government (which are inherently self-interested, but not overly bombastic). Let's start insulting 'the Americans' now for the state because of Bush. Or better yet, let's start insulting 'the Colombians' for electing a parapolitical narco president!

manINred comments on Queens, NYC native held without bail after being extradited from Medellin on Child porn and drug offenses!

No one ever searches me for stuff. The US customs dudes are always really nice, they never so much as try and make a hassle. They don't even look in my bags, which saves everyone time since I'm not a drug trafficker. That being said, this story is disturbing. Take Queens and keep all the Colombians in it but throw everyone else out... how big a city would it be compared to say... Medellin, or perhaps smaller, Popayan? I know there are more Italians in Toronto than most towns and even some cities in Italy.

manINred comments on elmo's thread

"I'm proud to be ashamed of being Canadian :P " Rubito, lol, one of the greatest proud statements ever! It's true, who really cares where anyone's from? I'm a hypocrite I guess, I identify with certain things (like Manchester United and English football, etc... the former of which I am currently extremely proud of :)) but let's face it, what makes YOU unique, interesting, etc... isn't where you're from, it's you as an individual, your achievements and accomplishments, etc...! Being proud of being Colombian because there are some good looking women in Medellin, for example, is a bit odd, especially if those looks don't translate to you as an individual, or if you are a man, it isn't your own achievement. Or for the coffee, why should you be proud unless you actually MAKE that coffee? Be proud of what you do, not where you come from. Oh well, when United beat Chelsea on Saturday then Barcelona on Tuesday I'll keep that in mind, but I'll be equally proud and happy for an accomplishment that has nothing to do with me ;) I love hypocrisy!

manINred comments on

There are few places I would rather be right now than Cali or Medellin... maybe i'll be down there this time next year, i hear ya frank, i'm about ot hit the clubs now, perhaps see a few people lose their minds, not quite as ballin as a penthouse in colombia though, but when i'm down in Cali i'd def. take you up on that offer! actually, talking about colombianas in NYC and their attitude, i guess people just aren't looking hard enough. I met a girl from medellin in medellin, she just bought me a ticket to go see her in Australia... I'm stopping in London and Frankfurt along the way :) now that's a person worth giving the time of day. sorta a reverse prepago situation

manINred comments on

yeah i know what you mean hehe, just joshin ya

manINred comments on

yeah man i can assure you it does, especially at this time of year :) :) :) Summer is where it's at.... where Medellin has a huge advantage is that it's summer all the time!

manINred comments on

jump in line where? and get to the top of where? and how does that make them different from guys who want to be at the top just as much ? ;)

manINred comments on

ahh yes i see what you mean. But it is true though what petew says, at least if we're comparing with Colombia, Montreal has just hit summer... and by god, having lived in both cities... move over medellin, and i mean that sincerely! :)

manINred comments on

come again?

manINred comments on

"if they're half colombian, but consider themselves american, so what??? " Absolutely. Who's to say which place someone should identify themselves with? How can someone feel close to a culture that perhaps they've never truly experienced?

manINred comments on

Sorry billyb it's not true.

manINred comments on Question for the Motorcycle and Gun Experts

Guns should be outlawed. It seems Syd Barrett has joined the forum!

manINred comments on What are you doing to help the actual Colombian crisis?

Disecting rural Colombia is a very difficult task. There are many regions with guerrilla and paramilitary support. State presence in Colombia has clearly over the past few decades been pathetic at best, and so the paramilitaries and guerrillas have maintained legitmacy in various regions due to relative order that they can offer, despite their crimes against humanity, etc... The dynamics of the boundaries of legitimacy are ever-changing, and now is no different, although it seems as if the state is gaining a stronger foothold and expanding its presense in rural areas traditionally left to the dogs so to speak. As for guerrilla vs. paramilitary.... it's all much of a muchness really: the leaders are murderous scum for the most part, and the core is made up of ignorant, desperate and misguided Colombians. Neither can claim moral superiority over the other. Paramilitaries statistically have committed more massacres over from 1994-2004, and seem to be organizing again despite having 'demobilized'.

manINred comments on Popularidad de Alvaro Uribe en LatinoAmerica

"IF your not in favor of uribe you might as well get your guns and head to the jungles of colombia" The 'with us or against us' mentality is really lame. I'm sure that Uribe, in promoting a thriving democracy, would look down upon such sensationalist statements.

manINred comments on (Why Is Pasto OFF the Beaten Gringo Trail?) or, Why You Should Never Date a Pastusa:

Pasto is truly a fantastic place. The women are amongst the most beautiful in Colombia. Despite the instability in the outerlying rural areas, it is a surprisingly quiet city. It lies in one of Colombia's most fantastically beautiful regions, that's for sure.

manINred comments on "White"Colombians and costenos and racism.

"75 percent of the worlds natural resources but they can't feed themselves or figure out running water." Where on earth did you get that statistic? What have you figured out for yourself? You were born into a developed world, and that's nothing to be proud of. I agree with Robbi, you sound like a bigot.

manINred comments on "White"Colombians and costenos and racism.

"75 percent of the worlds natural resources but they can't feed themselves or figure out running water." Where on earth did you get that statistic? What have you figured out for yourself? You were born into a developed world, and that's nothing to be proud of. I agree with Robbi, you sound like a bigot.

manINred comments on Reduction of homicides in Colombia

Homocides have been decreasing in Colombia for the past several years now. I think the real question is why Juan Roman Riquelme is still at Boca Juniors and not playing on a top European club where an immensely talented player of his calibre belongs.

manINred comments on "White"Colombians and costenos and racism.

"Racism against whites is everywhere in this country and I for one, have had enough of it. " I assume you are not talking about Colombia, and definitely assume you are not talking about the US. Obviously there are pockets of racism against every culture somewhere in the world, but racism in Colombia is directly primarily towards blacks, wheres in the States the vast majority of the vast amount of racism is directed towards blacks too, and latinos get a bit of a bruising in that respect. In Canada, it's directed towards the indians who we kill and dump on shit reserves (a few notable exceptions).

manINred comments on For gringos is easy to say "I love you" as it is to go to the toilet

Who the hell says "I love you" anymore just to get sex? Women want it more than men, from my experience. Nowadays (not that I knew what it was like before) it's just a quick dial and say "i'm down, you?" and bob's your uncle...very business-like, but very efficient, sans emotions et al.

manINred comments on El turismo sexual en Cartagena sigue en auge

"Guess I must be repulsive." At least you're not Paul McCartney. He spent millions upon millions in his several-year romp with the most over-priced and expensive ho-bag around! She was smart and guised her business as 'marriage'.

manINred comments on El turismo sexual en Cartagena sigue en auge

hahaha, kenny the chinese bitch... classic! Well at least Colombia's honest with itself... prostitution is legal, no harm. Actually makes it easier to make implement industry controls to keep STDs low etc... In Canada it's illegal but happens rampantly anyway!

manINred comments on El turismo sexual en Cartagena sigue en auge

hmm, no point posting it twice.

manINred comments on El turismo sexual en Cartagena sigue en auge

"Maninred, you met me IRL, didn't you? Do I strike you as ugly or particularly antisocial?" No, the quite opposite actually rubito. I should clarify... the only people I have seen in the act of picking up prostitutes seem that way... in Colombia I have seen it in Medellin and Manizales and a couple times in Medellin, and in Toronto all the time around Jarvis and Wellsely, the cross dressers and trannies who are so creepy it's unreal, and the people who want their services.., mejor dicho!. In fact a friend of mine in Ecuador told me he went to an agency and spent $80.00 to bang a gorgeous girl, and she was in the industry, everything legit, and then afterwards they went out on her free time and they hooked up for free, so to speak... there's nothing wrong with that, as long as it's not underage I guess (granted, he was 17 at the time). I'm sure there are many normal people who pick up prostitutes, who knows, maybe I will one day, but I'd rather not pay for sex, it should be free. I also had an unfortunate experience in Cartagena involving some fat horrid gay bald dude trying to pimp out girls to me. This idiot actually tried to make me his manwhore, saying he could get me many rich European lady clients, lol! So... given my limited experiences with prostitution, I am not a fan, to say the least. and there is a big stigma (for me) attached to it.

manINred comments on El turismo sexual en Cartagena sigue en auge

"I don't have to pay for it. In Colombia, women hit on me all the time. I'm talking classy women too. Sometimes I feel like a rock star. I'm not going back to Colombia as a tourist anyway. I will be moving there and getting the best girls. No putas for me!" LOL! that's what they all say ;) Anyway, why go to colombia when I feel like a rock star here? I certainly have the arrogance that goes along with it :)

manINred comments on El turismo sexual en Cartagena sigue en auge

"I have good friends, elderly guys, who absolutely love to be with prostitutes. They are real gentlemen, they do not brag about it, and far from being inept." Robbi, I am not surprised. As I said, I don't blame people for paying for sex... and I believe that there are many individuals who do so and do it with dignity (well, as much dignity as one can hope for I guess ;)). I was speaking from my experience. If you knew what Jarvis and Welselley (area I grew up in in TO) was, maybe you'd see where I was coming from, lol! The guy in Cali case in point. I firmly believe that sex is NOT something one should have to pay for. I personally would never do it, but to be fair, I've never been in a position where I've had to. I know that many gringos come to Colombia thinking they are god's gift to man, expecting women to fall all over them, and when that fails, they end up paying some ho to bone... sorta sad. Oh well........ and do I believe there is sexual exploitation in Colombia? yes. That's not to say most prostitution is that way, but prostitution is something I completely avoid, it creeps me out.

manINred comments on El turismo sexual en Cartagena sigue en auge

I remember this one repulsive ugly bald motherfucker in Cali, he was a gringo, I said something in English to an Australian friend and he tried to befriend us, bragging about how he loves to come to Colombia for cheap sex and drugs, how they come young, etc... yes actually bragging about this shit. My first gringo experience in Colombia. And I wonder why I was hoping it woudl be my last, lol!

manINred comments on El turismo sexual en Cartagena sigue en auge

"I'd also love to see ANY shred of evidence from ANYBODY that shows that men who pay for sex are incapable of getting it any other way. " I don't have much experiene in the matter, but from my own observational personal experience, the only people I have ever seen pay for sex (and yes, many an old/ugly gringo in Colombia ;)) are pretty uggo and or socially questionable (inept?)... I can't imagine them getting it any other way, so I guess who can blame them, lol And I also unfortunately see lots of child exploitation in Medellin. From kids begging on buses (parents exploiting them) to children who seem to be as young as 12 walking the street, as prostitutes. I have seen the same in Cartagena, and even Popayan/Pasto.

manINred comments on Colombian Pro Futbol League???

hahah romy you sound like a Chelsea supporter... completely in denial. Nacional is the only team I have ever seen represented in Toronto. No one knows the Colombian league in most places in the world, but even here you see some Nacional shirts, I've never seen a deportivo cali or america or DIM or whatever shirt. Nacional just did the double, they aren't looking so hot this temporada but they are still the best team in Colombia!!!!!!

manINred comments on Opera in Colombia

Kalder, what is your opinion of Paul Potts? And I wonder whether he would be (or perhaps is) well-received in Colombia.

manINred comments on WEll... there it is!!!

why not today? I think to an increasing extent that the internet is indeed a microcosm of the world! Very well put.

manINred comments on What Do Americans Think of Colombians?

"say what you will about accuracy, it is crammed with information. a good place to start, anyways....." Definitely tejasmarcos... but certainly an inappropriate place to finish if you require any degree of detail or serious level of study

manINred comments on What Do Americans Think of Colombians?

"It appears it shouldn't be trusted by some University Students because they are to lazy and incompent to determine their own facts." What is that supposed to mean? How exactly are they supposed to determine their own facts? So I am supposed to develop, off the top of my head, a model for Aggregate Demand in an economy based on what? My knowledge on aggregate expenditure in an economy? Of course not! But I'm not going to use Wikipedia to learn about Aggregate ANYTHING in an economy when there are hundreds of macroeconomic textbooks that develop the idea in much more detail (and much more accurately) than wikipedia does.

manINred comments on What Do Americans Think of Colombians?

Hey Lcacique, I don't particularly trust it either. After what my friend told me, why should I? That being said, it is pretty good for some things.

manINred comments on PBH Romantic Tips.....

In fact, my romance story tomorrow will unfold like something out of Eastenders. I will be in a highly uncomfortable situation, in fact I'm dreading it. abuhhhhhh I may just stay inside all day with my textbooks and of course, PoorBut(un)Happy. That is a much more pleasant option, quite frankly.

manINred comments on PBH Romantic Tips.....

Romance stories? I have a shit story that will unfold tomorrow. I have completely gotten myself screwed. :((((((((((((((((((((((((((((