Cuba ... As of December 2014, talks with Cuban officials and American officials including President Barack Obama have resulted in the exchange of releasing Alan Gross, fifty two political prisoners, and an unnamed non-citizen agent of the United States in return for the release of three Cuban agents currently imprisoned in the United States. Additionally, while the embargo between the United States and Cuba will not be lifted, it will be relaxed to allow import, export, and certain commerce within a limit between the two.
For those who escaped from Cuba, still have families there, or have memories of the days before Fidel Castro and the Cuban Revolution ... it's time to take a journey back in time as Cuba is changing and tourists will be welcome. People in my age group should remember the 1961 Bay of Pigs Invasion that some felt lead to the assassination of President Kennedy while others said Kennedy was about to expose the truth about alien and human interaction.
Many vehicles in Cuba are classics and communication is limited, as if time stopped for decades. It's all about to evolve. I wonder if the owners of these well-kept classic cars realize their worth in today's market. A smart collector could make a fortune. More Cars ...
New US-Cuba travel and trade rules come into effect BBC - January 16, 2015
New travel and trade rules between the US and Cuba have come into effect in the biggest policy shift between the two countries in more than 50 years. Measures include allowing US citizens to use credit cards in Cuba and for US businesses to export some technologies.
Your Cuba Travel Questions Answered ABC - January 16, 2015
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Sleeper Cells ... we know they exist across the world waiting to be activated - some after years - others after decades - different backgrounds and agendas. Yes the world is a powder keg, which I saw during a reading Thursday with a judge here in the city. What makes sleeper cells so dangerous CNN - January 17, 2015
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In the list of growing serious threats to the US - Racism took center stage before Charlie Hebdo showed us there are other dangers one must brace for. The list includes climate changes, natural disasters, social unrest, mental instability, and increased substance abuse as if certain substances will the keep the non-medicated population in check.
Everything you see on the news, or about read, or often discuss with others, has to do with souls finding freedom - no matter what it takes. This goes along with the emergence of social networking and technology quickly uniting people of like mind and changing the algorithm of our experiment - in both positive and negative ways. Publications this month take us to Paris, the Charlie Hebdo Shootings, and its aftermath.
At the Critics Choice Awards, Jessica Chastain talked about the importance of diversity in the entertainment industry. "Today is Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday, so it got me thinking about our need to build the strength of diversity in our industry," the actor said as she accepted her MVP Award on Thursday, the same day the Oscar nominations were revealed with the whitest roster in years. Read more ... The winners were ...
Best song went to "Glory" from "Selma", on the anniversary of the birth of
Martin Luther King. Oprah was in the audience as Common accepted the award.
