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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, Oct. 1, 2007, Vol. 7, No. 194 | |||||||||
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Transit police crack down
on obstructing vehicles By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The transit police say they have given out 310 tickets and confiscated 10 vehicles because they were badly parked in the center of San José. The reason for the sweep is to decongest the center of the capital because a recent study shows that badly parked vehicles cut down the traffic capacity of a street by 50 percent. The director of the Policía de Tránsito, German Marín, said the biggest offenders are taxis and trucks that discharge their cargos at prohibited times. The fine for each infraction is 6,000 colons or about $11.50. The transit police also are picking up enforcement of the rule keeping vehicles with certain final numbers on the license plate out of the city each rush hour. For example, those with 1 or 2 as the last number of their plate are prohibited from traveling in the central business district on Mondays. Our readers' opinions
Police and courts get blamefor swelling crime wave Dear A.M. Costa Rica: Re: crime in Costa Rica, Mr. Burgoon states in that "the underlying cause of crime is poverty and that of corruption is greed. These things are not endemic to Costa Rica, it is charming and probably the reason that keeps Michael coming back to visit!" What a crock of garbage, and I cleaned up what I really wanted to say! What's in his pipe he's smoking? Logically, there's crime wherever you go, but in countries where the police aren't holding their hands out waiting for a bribe, there's respect for authority. In Costa Rica, it's a joke! Look at the article two paragraphs ahead of his letter detailing where two murderers are allowed to roam free, after being convicted. My husbands family, Costa Rican citizens, are a small example: My father-in-law was robbed in front of his home at knife point for a few dollars. My stepsons' uncle and mother were robbed for jewelry and cash right in front of their homes. They all have those lovely bars on their windows and the entire front of their homes, but the thieves accosted them before they even entered their "cages." In all likelihood, I don't see the matter improving until the government wakes up and gets there heads out of their collective asses and the chance of that ever happening are slim and next to none. Katie Mullins-Hall
Cincinnati, Ohio Puerto Limón, Costa Rica Where is movie "SICKO," reader wants to know Dear A.M. Costa Rica: Michael Moore’s new documentary movie “SICKO” opened two months ago around the world, but not yet in Costa Rica. This movie documents the complete unavailability of medical care to large segments of the population when the profit motive is the only consideration. A Tico friend of mine, educated and multilingual, saw a DVD version of “SICKO” and was completely incredulous and sickened. But all of the vignettes in the movie have been confirmed by investigators: people turned away and dying in front of a hospital, heroes of 911 being denied medical treatment except by Castro in Cuba, and other horror stories. This movie would be powerful and truthful propaganda for TLC NO! But where is it? Dick Frost
San José Women get unfair advantage from new protection law Dear A.M. Costa Rica: The new women’s rights Law 8589 has set up Costa Rica as a state of tyranny against men almost on par with some Middle Eastern countries where a man can rid himself of his wife immediately by publicly declaring out loud to her three times, “I divorce you.” Although well-meaning, 8589 has the potential to damage to Costa Rica’s social structure. Poverty breeds desperation. The poor and desperate women of this country now have a legal tool to unfairly seize property of all men with means. Given this situation, why would any man of means allow any woman into his home? Propertied men will now be less likely to have serious relationships and start families with any woman within these borders. Unscrupulous Ticas now taking unfair advantage of this law are also hurting all good women who reside here. As a single male resident with means and property, I will no longer allow women I date into my home. I am advising all of my male friends here and in the States to seriously reconsider having relationships here with any woman, Tica or non-Tica, until legal gender balance and justice in this country is re-established. Gene Warneke
San Isidro de Grecia
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| A.M. Costa Rica third newspage |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, Oct. 1, 2007, Vol. 7, No. 194 | |||||||||
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| We served up more than 1 million pages again last month! |
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 A.M. Costa Rica/José Pablo
Ramírez Vindas
There was no trouble finding
Arias and Uncle Sam caricatures during the march along Paseo
Colón Sunday.
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| Anti-treaty
movement puts on show of force on Paseo Colón |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
The last scheduled gathering of free trade opponents took over Paseo Colón Sunday and Eugenio Trejos, one of the movement's leaders, called it the largest such event in the history of Costa Rica. Paseo Colón, as the main four-lane street from Parque la Sabana to Hospital San Juan de Dios is the traditional gathering place for political parties just prior to national elections. The gathering certainly was larger than recent political rallies, although most reputable newspapers and wire services declined to make an estimate until overhead photos could be studied. Crowd estimates after previous rallies were controversial. The referendum on the free trade treaty is Sunday, and labor, rice farmers, dairy farmers and socialist politicians oppose it. The peaceful although noisy march Sunday was made up of students, union workers, many children and others marching under the banner of the Movimiento Patriótico No al TLC, which is the acronym for the treaty in Spanish. The Asociación Nacional de Empleados Públicos y Privados was a major force in the gathering, as were other unions that represent workers in the state monopolies. The basic themes of the rally can be summarized by one display, a mockup of the Trojan Horse. The marchers are uncertain of what the treaty will do, and many believe it infringes on the sovereignty of the nation. In fact much of the Costa Rican side of the treaty is in operation now in the Caribbean Basin Initiative, a U.S. law that exempts from duty much of Costa Rica's products as well as those elsewhere in the area. Many of the marchers see no benefit in allowing the importation of cheaper U.S. products as long as Costa Ricans can continue to export into the world's biggest marketplace. A surprise at the rally was the appearance of Ignacio Trejos, the retired bishop of San Isidro de El General, who called for rejection of the treaty. He and other retired bishops claim that approval of the treaty will increase the social gap between the rich and the poor. Active clergymen have been ordered not to express their views on the treaty during religious services, but some 90 Catholic clergymen came out against the treaty late last week. |
 Those who must clear up the mess wait
patiently for marchers to leave the area.
Both Eugenio Trejos, the vacationing rector of the Instituto Tecnológico de Costa Rica, and the bishop addressed the crowd by microphone from a platform. In another development, Casa Presidencial said that an internal audit of the Ministerio de Planificación developed no proof that Kevin Casas had used resources there to advance the cause of the treaty. Casas is the former second vice president who also held a ministry job. He became a liability to the supporters of the trade treaty when a memo he authored became public. The memo to President Óscar Arias Sánchez urged a more aggressive campaign, including the use of fear appeals. These have been employed well by the no campaign. When Casas stepped down from his ministry job and when he quit his vice presidency trade opponents said they feared he had illegally used state resources for the campaign, so an investigation was ordered. |
| Some
folks delight in pinning the tale on the other monkey |
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| Ningún mono se ve su rabo “No monkey sees his own tail.” This dicho is meant to remind us that it is difficult for us to see our own faults, while those of others are often all too glaringly obvious to us. Some people seem to specialize in pointing out other people’s errors while remaining blithely innocent of their own. One of my nieces has got to be the queen of this practice. She is very good at pulling another monkey’s tail, but she becomes quite indignant whenever someone gives hers a brisk yank. This is all somehow wrapped up together with guilt and wishing to feel superior. Her specialty seems to be pointing out to people who are ill the reason they got that way. It always turns out to be the sick person’s fault. They somehow foolishly exposed themselves to their disease. If they’d only been careful, more prudent about human contact, more wary, more vigilant, more this, that or the other thing, they wouldn’t have contracted the illness. I like to pad about the house barefooted, for example, and should I come down with a case of the sniffles, she will wag an accusatory finger at me and say it’s clearly because I’m always walking around descalzado (without shoes). Of course, this niece does not like to be reminded that a few years back she herself spent a couple of weeks in the hospital battling viral pneumonia. After all, this monkey has no tail. Lately in Costa Rica so many good and bad things are being bandied about concerning the TLC (the free trade agreement with the U.S.). What bothers me most about this “dialogue,” if that is indeed what it should be called, is that our country is becoming so totally polarized. We have the usual two camps, the good guys and the bad guys, but the bad guys are always those on the other side of the issue. They are the ones with the monkey tails, not “us.” The problem with such polarizations is that emotion always intervenes to prevent those on either side from ever really examining the facts with any degree of objectivity. So, rather than hear what is being said on both sides and prove or disprove it on the basis of its conformity with cool-headed reason and the facts; rumors, innuendo, and out and out lies abound, as the entire process declines into little more than a sort of shrill and garish popularity contest. I know of a group of Ticos who live here in the U.S.A. who plan to travel to Costa Rica to vote on the TLC in the up-coming referendum. It’s interesting to me that, because |
they’ve largely been away from all the hype and political hurly-burly surrounding the issue in Costa Rica, their approach to the treaty is far more dispassionate and better informed than most of the Costa Ricans I’ve talked with who’ve remained at home throughout the ratification process. I must add that the overall view of the TLC from those among these expatriates with whom I have spoken could not exactly be termed enthusiastic. This dicho also remind me of a woman who came to live here in Bloomington while her husband worked on his Ph.D. in chemistry at Indiana University. Being of an industrious nature and not content to stay at home while her husband was studying on campus, she set out to start a house-cleaning business. She did quite well with this enterprise and acquired many clients among the ranks of university faculty who liked her and often recommended her to their friends. Unfortunately this woman was an enormous gossip. She loved to talk about her intellectual customers and how such presumably intelligent people are really very stupid. She would enumerate with great satisfaction their many flaws. She once referred to the two children of a very famous musician on the faculty whom she worked for as " . . . those stupid kids. All they ever want to do is play music,” a serious character flaw to be sure. It often occurred to me that this woman was sort of biting the hands that fed her, as the saying goes in English. But now I think that, rather contrary to today’s dicho, this monkey actually was aware of her tail. She just had to make everyone else’s out to be longer in order to better camouflage her own. It’s important to keep in mind when dealing with such types that the person who is constantly recounting the faults of others to you is undoubtedly doing the same with them about you. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, Oct. 1, 2007, Vol. 7, No. 194 | |||||||||
| Beautiful property where air is clear — above 3,000
feet www.VistasDeSarchi.com |
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Don't try this
at home Óscar Arias Sánchez in blue shirt watches a well-known Siquirres crocodile named Poncho give a performance with its trainer during the president's trip through the province of Limón this weekend. Arias reached Siquirres by train from Limón. While in the province Arias promised to use the $3-a-crate banana tax to beef up citizen security. |
 Casa Presidencial photo
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| Iran's
president pledges $1 billion to Bolivia and then visits Hugo
Chávez. |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wires Services
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has made a brief visit to Venezuela, where he met fellow U.S. critic Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez. Chavez greeted the Iranian president warmly upon his arrival in Caracas from Bolivia. Standing on a red carpet at the presidential palace in Caracas, the two presidents lashed out against what they described as imperialism. Iran's state-run news agency, IRNA, says the countries signed three agreements on cooperation in energy and industry. It said Ahmadinejad left Venezuela after a formal send-off ceremony. |
The Iranian leader visited South
America following his address at the
United Nations and a speech at New York's Columbia University. Earlier, in Bolivia, the Iranian president pledged $1 billion in investment. In addition to Bolivia and Venezuela, Iran is developing closer relations with Nicaragua and Ecuador. Tuesday, Ahmadinejad told the U.N. General Assembly Tehran will not suspend uranium enrichment as demanded by the international community. The United States and its allies accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons — a charge Iran denies. |
| Cuban
police detain then release some 27 dissidents protesting prison
conditions |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Cuban activists say the government has released a group of at least 27 dissidents who were detained Thursday for trying to take part in a protest. The group of detainees included prominent dissident Jorge Luis Garcia Pérez, who was recently released from prison after serving a 17-year sentence. Activists say Cuban authorities were trying to prevent the dissidents from joining a small group of activists who had delivered a letter demanding better treatment for political prisoners to the justice ministry in Havana |
Martha Beatriz Roque, who has been
jailed twice for her opposition to the Communist government, led the
protest. She said as the group waited outside the Justice building for a response to their letter, Cuban police arrived, forced the protesters onto a bus and drove them home. Government opponents say Cuba is holding more than 200 political prisoners, a number that has decreased since Raúl Castro took over from his ailing brother, President Fidel Castro. The Cuban government denies it holds any political prisoners, and claims those who oppose the government are paid by the United States. |
| Yet another truck found with secret compartment containing cocaine |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Yet another tractor trailer on the way to Nicaragua has been confiscated for carrying a load of drugs. The Policía de Control de Drogas said that some 270 kilos of cocaine turned up in a hidden compartment in the trailer |
of an 18-wheeler at
the Peñas Blancas border crossing Saturday. That's 594 pounds. A 36-year-old Costa Rican man with the last names of Cortes Reyes was detained as was a 30-year-old Nicaraguan woman with the last names of Altamirano Treminio, said police. |
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| San José, Costa Rica, Monday, Oct. 1, 2007, Vol. 7, No. 194 | ||||||
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Dining, restaurants, entertainment, poker | |
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| In center of San Pedro you can find a little bit of Europe |
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By Saray Ramírez Vindas
of the A.M. Costa Rica staff In San Pedro just a few feet south of the Banco Nacional is another one of those Costa Rica family restaurants. There is breakfast and lunch every weekday until 4 p.m. Unlike elsewhere each Wednesday the place is transformed into a slice of Europe. This week it was Spain at La Fonda Criolla, and the only thing missing was Ernest Hemingway arguing over his whiskey. Owner-chef Luis Diego Umaña has a great resource in his aunt, Rossana Visona, who has years of international experience in food. He chose a career in food despite a degree in marketing. As the naem suggests, the normal menu is Costa Rican food. The restaurant is small by most standards with but 15 tables. And it is inexpensive. The usual lunch casado runs 1,600 colons, a bit more than $3. The international dinner Wednesday was just 6,000 colons, about $11.50, a person incluidng tax and included gaspacho, a couple of glasses of good sangria and the great Spanish dish paella. Umaña said his secret is 100 percent fresh ingredients. No cans. No off-the-shelf spices. The meal Wednesday showed it. The gaspacho was chilled perfectly. The paella was very simple by continental standards and very Spanish, compete with chicken shellfish, shrimp, squid and scallops. |
 A.M. Costa Rica/Saray Ramírez Vindas
Luis Diego Umaña and his paella.The sangria contained, Umaña said, a special ingredient to give it punch. The Wednesday night dinner is not child-friendly because the event does
not begin to start rolling until 8:30 p.m., a bit late for most
youngsters.
Wednesday there was a group of what appeared to be visiting English students from the nearby Universidad de Costa Rica, and a man who said he was an authentic Gypsy from Spain and Saudi Arabia. They enjoyed the meal, too. The atmosphere was conducive to talking and perhaps romantic flirting with background flamenco and sevillanas or gypsy music. Next Wednesday is Italian night, but reservations are requested. See the Web site. |
| When you are out of position, you are out of position! | |
| Playing
from the small blind against the big blind when everyone else has
folded can be very tricky, especially if your strategy is flawed.
There are two schools of thought regarding how to play this
situation. Beginning players too often overplay their hands from that position. They will raise from the small blind, thinking that it's very unlikely that the big blind has a strong hand, and that there's only one player left to steal the pot from. While there's some merit in this approach, I'm more inclined to follow the more conservative school of thought and just call. Since you'll have to act out of position on every street after the flop, the last thing you want to do is put more money in the pot, especially with marginal hands. You see, most skilled players and professionals will limp in from the small blind with a wide variety of hands because they’re thinking in terms of minimizing losses from that position. When out of position, they’ll play cautiously unless they’re dealt a very strong hand and are looking to set a trap. They’ll wait to be more aggressive until they actually do have position. Let's look at an example of how this situation might play out if you decide to raise with a hand like A-4 offsuit from the small blind. One of the problems with this hand, of course, is that your A-4 simply won’t hit a lot of flops. You'll only be happy with that hand if you get really lucky and make a straight or flop aces and fours. If the flop comes with one ace, you’ll still worry about your kicker. If the flop comes 9-10-J or Q-K-8, you’ll find yourself in no man’s land after the flop. Now, you can always attempt a bluff after the flop and hope that your opponent folds. If he doesn’t, however, and calls your bet, you’ll face another difficult dilemma -— whether to continue the bluff after the turn. Of course, if he raises you, well, you’ll obviously have to fold. Always remember this: A strong player in position might |
 very well raise you on virtually any flop because he knows that he has position. Position equals power. Unless you have a strong hand on the flop (and that’s unlikely), he’ll simply be able to bluff you out of the pot. Limping in from the small blind is a play that shows a deep amount of respect to your positional disadvantage. Having said that, there are situations where it would be correct to raise from the small blind. It’s important that you consider the type of opponent you’re playing against. For example, if the player on your left is an extremely conservative player, don’t let them get a breath of air. Go ahead and raise from the small blind a high percentage of the time, regardless of the cards your holding. As long as you’re committed to leaning towards a more conservative style of play from the small blind, you’ll be one step ahead of the game. Once the other players pick up on the fact that you’re entirely capable of limping in from the small blind with strong hands, they’ll no longer see your cautious play as a sign of weakness. That will just make it easier for you to see cheaper flops with a wider range of speculative hands. Visit www.cardsharkmedia.com/book.html for information about Daniel Negreanu’s new book, "Hold’em Wisdom for All Players."
© 2007 Card Shark Media. All rights reserved.
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| The A.M. Costa Rica library on our local food and restaurants |
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| It's time
for empanadas! HERE! They don't come here for the wings and the burgers HERE! Old standby Machu Picchu continues to delight HERE! Roast lamb like Grandmother used to make HERE! Readers respond to listing of top-10 restaurants HERE! A list of restaurants recommended by readers HERE! Prescription for good steak: Just visit Hospital CIMA HERE! If you wondered where all the pigs go at Christmas . . . HERE! All about fish HERE! For an example of the Comeback Kid, visit Mangiamo HERE! Yes, a lobster without claws is pretty good, too HERE! Old food, new food, cheered food, boo’d food HERE! For the frugal, there are some decent places to eat HERE! The guide you need for cooking a turkey locally HERE! Halloween yuckies for the kids HERE! With the marinated steaks you also get a horse show HERE! Imaginative fusions invite fine tuning in Escazú HERE! Hidden behind national library sits a jewel HERE! A chance to add a little zip to munchies with dip HERE! Soda Tapia's western branch is drawing throngs HERE! Fine Spanish food with a Catalan emphasis HERE! Cuban restaurant calls up images of the past HERE! Surprise: Brazilian meats and a great salad bar HERE! Yes, there is a place for solid German cooking HERE! |
A report on some nice people who are
doing well HERE! It may not be Portugal, but Oporto offers solid fare HERE! An answer to the question: 'Who are the great chefs?' HERE! The Caribbean is just a short drive away HERE! There is a long-standing barrier to a kosher Reuben HERE! Bacchus continues to be something special Here! This food columnist just might get you in a jam! HERE! All the reviews are right:
After nine months,
our food critic
summarizes opinions
Here are ways to handle
Spartan surroundings
A discovery of Greek cuisine
Places where you can find
Argentine steakhouse
Fellini has given way
One of the world's staples
Not much to beef about
Off to Heredia in search
A really long drive to sample authentic
German food
Shogun is the first choice
So what are you going
A delightful sampling
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The lowdown on soy protein
A road show of great places
The contest between
The mango can be
Four-star French restaurant
All you ever wanted to know
The No. 1 Italian restaurant
A bit of the 1960s
Heart concern and
Some less pricey charmers
French cooking in the clouds
The many uses of squash
Friends' favorite foods
The Restaurant Del Mar
Cook that turkey!
The crazy apple: eggplant
Dim sum = Chinese smorgasbord
A very good fish restaurant
Some general concepts
A guide to stalking
Which breakfast delight is
New food writer will try
Every culture seems
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| What we published this week: | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Earlier |
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