posted February 19, 2008 11:09 AM            

An ailing, 81-year-old Fidel Castro resigned as Cuba's president Tuesday after nearly a half-century in power, saying he will not accept a new term when parliament meets Sunday.

The end of Castro's rule — the longest in the world for a head of government — frees his 76-year-old brother Raul to implement reforms he has hinted at since taking over as acting president when Fidel Castro fell ill in July 2006. President Bush said he hopes the resignation signals the beginning of a democratic transition.

"My wishes have always been to discharge my duties to my last breath," Castro wrote in a letter published Tuesday in the online edition of the Communist Party daily Granma. But, he wrote, "it would be a betrayal to my conscience to accept a responsibility requiring more mobility and dedication than I am physically able to offer."

In the pre-dawn hours, most Cubans were unaware of Castro's message, and Havana's streets were quiet. It wasn't until 5 a.m., several hours after Castro's message was posted on the internet, that official radio began reading the missive to early risers.

By sunrise, most people headed to work in Havana seemed to have heard the news, which they appeared to accept without obvious signs of emotion. There were no tears or smiles as Cubans went about their usual business.

"He will continue to be my commander in chief, he will continue to be my president," said Miriam, a 50-year-old boat worker waiting for the bus to Havana port. "But I'm not sad because he isn't leaving, and after 49 years he is finally resting a bit."

Castro temporarily ceded his powers to his brother on July 31, 2006, when he announced that he had undergone intestinal surgery. Since then, the elder Castro has not been seen in public, appearing only sporadically in official photographs and videotapes and publishing dense essays about mostly international themes as his younger brother has consolidated his rule.

There had been widespread speculation about whether Castro would continue as president when the new National Assembly meets Sunday to pick the country's top leadership. Castro has been Cuba's unchallenged leader since 1959 — monarchs excepted, he was the world's longest ruling head of state.

Castro said Cuban officials had wanted him to remain in power after his surgery.

"It was an uncomfortable situation for me vis-a-vis an adversary that had done everything possible to get rid of me, and I felt reluctant to comply," he said in a reference to the United States.

Castro remains a member of parliament and is likely to be elected to the 31-member Council of State on Sunday, though he will no longer be its president. Raul Castro's wife, Vilma Espin, maintained her council seat until her death last year even though she was too sick to attend meetings for many months.

Castro also retains his powerful post as first secretary of Cuba's Communist Party. The party leadership posts generally are renewed at party congresses, and the last one was held in 1997.

The resignation opens the path for Raul Castro's succession to the presidency, and the full autonomy he has lacked in leading a caretaker government. The younger Castro has raised expectations among Cubans for modest economic and other reforms, stating last year that the country requires unspecified "structural changes" and acknowledging that government wages that average about $19 a month do not satisfy basic needs.

As first vice president of Cuba's Council of State, Raul Castro was his brother's constitutionally designated successor and appears to be a shoo-in for the presidential post when the council meets Sunday. More uncertain is who will be chosen as Raul's new successor, although 56-year-old council Vice President Carlos Lage, who is Cuba's de facto prime minister, is a strong possibility.

"Raul is also old," allowed Isabel, a 61-year-old Havana street sweeper, who listened to Castro's message being read on state radio with other fellow workers. "As a Cuban, I am thinking that Carlos Lage, or (Foreign Minister) Felipe Perez Roque, or another younger person with new eyes" could follow the younger Castro brother, she added.

Bush, traveling in Rwanda, pledged to "help the people of Cuba realize the blessings of liberty."

"The international community should work with the Cuban people to begin to build institutions that are necessary for democracy," he said. "Eventually, this transition ought to lead to free and fair elections — and I mean free, and I mean fair — not these kind of staged elections that the Castro brothers try to foist off as true democracy."

The United States built a detailed plan in 2005 for American assistance to ensure a democratic transition on the island of 11.2 million people after Castro's death. But Cuban officials have insisted that the island's socialist political and economic systems will outlive Castro.

"The adversary to be defeated is extremely strong," Castro wrote Tuesday. "However, we have been able to keep it at bay for half a century."

Castro rose to power on New Year's Day 1959 and reshaped Cuba into a communist state 90 miles from U.S. shores. The fiery guerrilla leader survived assassination attempts, a CIA-backed invasion and a missile crisis that brought the world to the brink of nuclear war. Ten U.S. administrations tried to topple him, most famously in the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961.

His ironclad rule ensured Cuba remained communist long after the breakup of the Soviet Union and the collapse of communism across Eastern Europe.

Castro's supporters admired his ability to provide a high level of health care and education for citizens while remaining fully independent of the United States. His detractors called him a dictator whose totalitarian government systematically denied individual freedoms and civil liberties such as speech, movement and assembly.

The United States was the first country to recognize Castro's government, but the countries soon clashed as Castro seized American property and invited Soviet aid.

On April 16, 1961, Castro declared his revolution to be socialist. A day later, he defeated the CIA-backed Bay of Pigs invasion. The United States squeezed Cuba's economy and the CIA plotted to kill Castro. Hostility reached its peak with the 1962 Cuban missile crisis.

The collapse of the Soviet Union sent Cuba into economic crisis, but the economy recovered in the late 1990s with a tourism boom.

posted February 20, 2008 12:37 PM            

I am sure Cuba must be beautiful. I loved Key West, FL when I was there. Cuba must be the same.

posted February 20, 2008 08:36 PM              

“.. ‘thought form’ vibrations
and their immeasurable power over Nature
are not merely theory
their effect has been observed and proven”

“where ? and when ? and how ?
oh, please answer me – I need to know now !”

“the electromagnetic factors
of each Earthling’s auric emanations – or aura
are very similar to
the electro-magnetic characteristics
of the Solar System in which you live

and this means that human auric light
or electromagnetic fields
are entirely capable of traveling outward
and inter-acting with similar fields
in the environment
as tuning forks respond to one another”

“and could this, then, inter-act
with all the factors underlying earthquakes, floods
pole reversal, cobalt bomb effects – and such?”

“yes..the proper projection of human auras
could so react with all geological activities
including those behind climatic change
which, of course, is why your American Indians
successfully performed their rain dances”

“how would this apply to an earthquake prone area
such as the San Andreas fault
and the similar fault that lies beneath Manhattan?”

“simply by the ‘thought form’ vibrations
causing major changes
in the temperatures and air pressures
surrounding and permeating
any earthquake-prone land area, you see”

“but ..this is all theory you are telling me
and you promised to give me proof of such magic”

“research by a number of scientists
related to the prehistoric populations
of the American Southwest
have proven that, when the activities
of the people turned to negative vibrations
such as open warfare
and these actions became therefore
out of harmony
with the surrounding environment, then

the rainfall needed for their very survival
gradually dropped to such low level
that these Earthlings were forced to move away
and to migrate elsewhere

conversely, in close neighboring areas
where the people did not engage in warfare
or killing each other – or their animal friends
and did not engage in the abusing of sexual power
and who were, therefore
in complete harmony with their environment

in these close neighboring areas..
the rainfall needed also for their very survival
remained high
throughout the same period of time
allowing them to remain in their homeland
safely..happily..and productively

a similar situation has now developed on Earth
in the area you call Las Vegas
where many forms of darkness of the spirit have prevailed
these dark negative thought forms of lust and greed
having finally seeded a current and swiftly growing
lack of rainfall there

forcing those guilty of the responsible negative vibrations
to migrate elsewhere – as can be seen
in their gradual moving of their operations
to Atlantic City – and your state of Florida

where the same inflexible Law of Mother Nature
will soon be felt by the unfortunate residents there
when the rainfall decreases
for, just as there is not enough water in the Las Vegas area now
there will eventually be a shortage of water in Florida

however, those who planted negative seeds
causing the rainfall level to so sharply drop in Nevada
were not allowed to move their spiritual pollution
back into the territory ruled over by your Earthling Castro

for, whatever others may think of the blend
of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ in his human nature, this Earthling
is tuned in to his Higher Self..and listens
with his inner ear

on this one level of at least subconsciously being aware
of the dangers being inherent to his own land and people
in allowing such powerful negative thought forms
to cause Cuba’s rainfall, needed for survival – to drop
and therefore, banished from Havana all Las Vegas controlled
operations

all human-nature is woven of grey and white threads
and one must be careful to give credit unto – each Earthling
where credit is due – Castro is known to deeply admire
Abraham Lincoln
and so..let he or she..who is without sin
cast the first stone
one must always hate the sin
but never hate the sinner..there is a difference you see
and one must always look for Light, even in the darkness.”

posted February 20, 2008 09:02 PM              

Without a reliable supply of water, we would have nothing to drink, nothing to sustain our crops. Swimming pools would be empty. Lawns would have no grass. Electricity would be expensive. Plants would die; animals would follow.

Such a water shortage may sound extreme, but it's happening right now in parts of the western United States. An area called the Colorado River Basin, which stretches from Wyoming to Arizona, is in the middle of the worst drought in at least 500 years. Rivers in this region are at their lowest levels ever recorded.

If the drought continues, the results could be disastrous. The river basin is a major source of water for big cities, including Las Vegas, Phoenix, and Los Angeles. Entire ecosystems depend on this water, as do ranchers and many other people who live and work in the area.

Extreme weather

Extreme weather and natural disasters are a normal part of life on Earth. Tornadoes, floods, hurricanes, and earthquakes destroy houses and kill people. Droughts are also menacing. They can last for decades. No one knows how to predict or stop them. In fact, many things that people do make the problem worse.

Experts say that major droughts in the 1200s and 1300s may have driven the Native American Anasazi out of places such as Mesa Verde in Colorado and Chaco Canyon in New Mexico.

posted February 20, 2008 09:20 PM              

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Florida's three-year drought is over and lakes and rivers are brimming again, but water managers warn of a different story beneath the surface.

The groundwater system is still below normal in central and southwest Florida, and that's just a temporary woe. Shrinking supplies caused by the lack of rainfall forewarned what could happen in the next few decades if the state doesn't find new water sources, officials said.

Utilities, local governments and water management districts plan to spend millions of dollars to develop water alternatives to ensure surging demand doesn't exceed supplies. They're also urging residents to conserve year-round.

``If we just depended on groundwater, we wouldn't have enough to meet our needs,'' said Michael Molligan, spokesman for the Southwest Florida Water Management District, which covers 16 counties from Osceola to Monroe.

In central Florida, wetlands, lakes, and streams will start to dry up by 2006 if all the permits to withdraw water are granted and new supplies aren't identified, said Kirby Green, director of the St. Johns River Water Management District, responsible for 16 central and north Florida counties.

The drought ``helped solidify the need to look at alternative sources,'' he said.

Water use is forecast to increase 30 percent from 7.2 billion gallons per day in 1995 to 9.3 billion in 2020 as more people move to the Sunshine State, already home to nearly 16 million residents.

Plans include turning seawater into drinking water, building reservoirs, or drilling deep wells to store water for dry times and expanding the use of treated sewage on lawns.

``There's sufficient water if we approach the problem wisely,'' said Tom Swihart, water policy administrator for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

Florida draws most of its supply from the Floridan aquifer, a porous limestone formation underneath the ground that traps water. But population growth, drained wetlands, farming, and the recent drought all have taxed the supply, except in north Florida.

Last year was the driest on record and the 1998-2001 drought was the worst in 45 years. Rainfall deficits of 25 inches in the Tampa Bay area to 40 inches around Orlando forced central and South Florida into emergency watering restrictions.

Wetlands, rivers and lakes dried up, salt water crept closer to coastal wells, and parched crops were destroyed.

posted February 20, 2008 09:53 PM              

In 1932 the state of Florida legalized pari-mutuel betting in more counties to bring more revenue to the State during the Great Depression. This step forward for legalized gambling paved the way to more tourism which then helped the local economy recover.

This was followed by the legalization of Jai-Alai in 1935. Jai-Alai was first introduced in 1926 at the Miami Fronton although it was a legal sport; it was not a legal betting event.

Later during 1935 slot machines were legalized in Florida, later in 1973 though this law was repealed, and the slot machines had to be removed. 1979 brought legalized Indian bingo halls thus allowing the Indian tribes to support themselves with the gambling profits.

In 1984 "cruises to nowhere" was introduced to circumvent the law by taking patrons out to the high seas to gamble on a casino ship. The only purpose in the ship was to gamble, hence the name, cruise to nowhere.

1986 the Florida Lottery was unveiled; the vote was passed by a two to one margin. Voters gave approval since all of the proceeds are supposed to go to education in Florida.

Casinos were shot down by Florida voters in 1978, 1986, and 1994 but finally in 2004, Florida voters voted in favor of legalized casino gambling.

Today there are 137 casinos in Florida and Florida ranks 4 out of 46 in number of casinos in all the states in US that have gaming facilities if you count the cruise ships with casinos that leave from here.

Hialeah Park Race Track opened in 1925 and received more press coverage in the Miami media than any other sporting event in the history of Miami.

Tourism was encouraged during the lean years around the Great Depression, starting around 1928 by gambling, legal or illegal. In fact, Al Capone moved to Miami in 1928 and gambling took on a bit more sinister character.

In 1928 Cap's Place, originally called Club Unique, was established as a supper club and gambling casino. Gambling was illegal in Florida at the time but this did not stop Cap's Place. Slot machines lined the hallway between the dining room and the kitchen and a wheel of fortune hung over the bar. Cap's had it all, including dice and blackjack games. In the 1930's the gambling interests, who controlled the action, advised Cap to spruce up the place so he added red carpeting and private gambling rooms.

In January of 1942 the most famous visitors arrived, Prime Minister Winston Churchill and President Franklin D Roosevelt. They held a series of secret war conferences right in Cap's Place. It is not known if they did any gambling while there.

In 1979 the Seminole Tribe opened a high stakes bingo parlor that did not conform to state law and spurred the first major litigation. The Indian Tribes won on appeal in the US Court of Appeals.

On December 5,1933, Sloppy Joe's opened In Key West, Florida. Joe Russell was the proprietor. It was originally called the "Blind Pig" and renamed the "Silver Slipper" when a dance floor was added but the real attraction was the food and the gambling. One of the most famous patrons was Ernest Hemmingway, who encouraged the name change to "Sloppy Joe's" and the name stuck as did the gambling.

In 1876 the city of Keno was denied the request for a post office because of its name which means gambling (which was one of the favorite pastimes of the town). The city had to change its name to Leno to prove it was a decent town.

posted February 20, 2008 09:55 PM              

U.S. Water News Online

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- To counteract a worsening drought in South Florida, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has considered taking water from conservation areas to prevent salt water from damaging wells on the east coast, Gov. Charlie Crist learned in a briefing.

Taking water from the region's three conservation areas, which could harm wildlife such as fish and endangered species of birds, may be necessary because of the extremely low water level in Lake Okeechobee -- which is usually the backup water source in South Florida.

But Crist and other officials said dipping into those conservation areas, which are the remnants of the Everglades, would be a last ditch effort to provide the public with drinking water. The state requested earlier this year that the corps, which regulates the water levels, look into allowing water out of the conservation areas.

"We will exhaust any and all avenues, including draconian water restrictions, before asking for that water," said Carol Wehle, director of the South Florida Water Management District.

If water was taken from the conservation areas, Wehle said, it could not be used for irrigation. Agriculture accounts for 52 percent of water demand in South Florida, while 37 percent is used by the public.

Florida received 5.88 inches of rainfall during the first three months of the year, more than four inches below normal, according to the state Department of Environmental Protection. Lake Okeechobee is currently at a level of 10.08 feet, which is the lowest elevation ever recorded in April. Officials are concerned the lake could eclipse its 2001 record low of 8.9 feet if drought patterns continue.

Crist, DEP Secretary Michael Sole, Agriculture Commissioner Charles Bronson and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson were among the participants in the briefing on the drought and current water restrictions in place.

Officials' greatest concern is the potential for salt water from the Atlantic Ocean to seep into the water wells close to the state's eastern coast. If that happens, those wells could be unusable for as long as 10 years, the amount of time it could take for fresh water to adequately dilute the salt water.

In dangerous drought conditions, the canals that fill the wells with water become too low. When that fresh water isn't being pushed into the wells, it can allow salt water to seep in from the east.