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Our readers' opinions
Sex in car not romance,published author reports Dear A.M. Costa Rica: While I realize you were likely translating an article from La Nación or other Spanish-language news source, I'd like to point out that there is nothing "romantic" about a sexual encounter between a grown man and a 12-year-old girl, even if he did pay her the princely sum of 1,000 colons. By definition (according to the Cambridge online dictionary) sex is " sexual activity involving the penis or vagina, especially when a man puts his penis into a woman's vagina." There are many more definitions given, of course, but this doesn't seem the the venue to produce them all. Romance is defined as "a close, usually short relationship of love between two people." An example is given: "They married after a whirlwind romance." Again, many more variations follow. As the published author of 44 romance novels in several sub-genres under the main umbrella of "romance," I find it odd that people (unfortunately, mostly male people) automatically equate sex with romance. The two, while they often complement each other (and always do in my novels), are not one and the same. I sincerely doubt the 12-year-old in the article felt romantic about the man, or he about her. In many jurisdictions the sexual act for which he paid would be considered statutory rape. The man deserves to be in jail. I could also suggest castration, horsewhipping or other draconian punishments, but I expect the child (if he asked) lied about her age because she desperately wanted the money he offered. Judy Gill
EDITOR'S NOTE: A.M. Costa Rica does not copy or translate news stories from the Spanish-language press. That would be stealing. As to the man caught with the 12-year-old, he received six years and now will face an additional allegation of paying a bribe to two policemen. He's for those free hugs Dear A.M. Costa Rica: Regarding story on A.M. Costa Rica on Nov. 14: Michael Sánchez Giving fee hugs. The world needs more of him. A positive attitude and a friendly hug could all do us some good. I want to express to Michael Sánchez ‘’KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK.’’ R. Everman
Guanacaste/Tampa. Florida Garbage at Puntarenas dock turns off cruise ship visitors Dear A.M. Costa Rica: I hear and read so many complaints about Costa Rica that it makes me sick. I love this little country, so much that I usually make people sick telling them how wonderful it is and that the people are awesome. I love the people, I love the climate, and I love being able to live well on my income, and I'm by no means rich. When I hear people complain, my reply is "you know they still sell one-way tickets back to where you came from," but they don't want to hear that. I have done all I can to help the little community I live in and love it, and have gotten everything back tenfold. My passion is a small home for children, which I help support. BUT, I do have one remark, which I have a hard time understanding. Tourism is the NO. 1 moneymaker for Costa Rica, and the airport looks nice, nicer than some in other third world countries, and the tours are amazing. Last Sunday I had six family members who were on a two-week cruise, and they were going to be in Puntarenas for the day so me and two friends drove over to spend the day with them. I was shocked at the debarkation point. It was filthy, trash along the boardwalk, there was trash everywhere and the first thing you see is a park that is dilapidated, and a building that is closed up and looks like it is falling down. There looked to be at least 30 huge buses there to pick up tourists that were going on excursions, You would think, with labor as low as it is here, each bus could be charged a 5,000-colon fee to pick up clients there and use that money to hire about 10-15 people who I'm sure could use the money, to keep that area picked up and clean, like they do in downtown San José. My family made the remark that their "first impression" was not a very good one, and I was embarrassed, since I had built our little country up so. First impressions do last and that is sad, especially in a situation that would be so easy fixed. You know, when you invite people to your home for a visit, you at least pick up and make it presentable, and I can't say that for where the cruise ships land in Puntarenas. So lets' sweep the floors and pick up the trash before inviting people over. James Overstreet
Santo Domingo de Heredia Reader offers clarifications on some statistical points Dear A.M. Costa Rica: I don't disagree with most of Michael Crow's opinions, but I think his use of statistical exaggeration to make his points undermines his credibility. 1. Bankruptcy has been made more difficult recently, but it is not illegal. 2. The U.S. prison population is around 1 of every 136, not 1 of 36. 3. The 2004 presidential election turnout was 56.69 percent, not 26 percent. I guess journalism schools do teach tenants, since most students probably rent a place to live, but one of the most important tenets those tenants are taught is to check your facts. T. McLaughlin
Washington, D.C.
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| A.M. Costa Rica third newspage |
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| Teams
of oxen will kick off the Christmas season Sunday |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
What do big cows have to do with Christmas? In Christian theology, Jesus Christ was placed in a manger shortly after birth. A manger is normally where hay is placed for cows and other animals. But in Costa Rica the relationship is less abstract. Cows mean the start of the Christmas season, and, with luck, a harbinger of the dry season. Each year oxcart hobbyists and their giant animals gather at Parque la Sabana and then carry life-size statues of saints and other religious figures in their carts into downtown San José. The parade this year is next Sunday, according to the Municipalidad de San José. This is one of the biggest gatherings of the boyeros and their bueyes. The oxcart operators will lead their animals, usually two abreast, from the foot of Paseo Colón into the downtown. The parade is scheduled to start at 9 a.m., but oxen are notoriously unconcerned with the time. Animals, their drivers and the carts will pass a reviewing stand. The oxcart is a symbol of Costa Rica, even though the bright paint on the carts and their wooden wheels was not typical until an Italian immigrant started using bright colors in the early part of the 20th century in Escazú. The carts have been the workhorse of the Costa Rican transportation system. They were the principal way coffee beans reached the Pacific ports until they were displaced by the railroad. Oxen still are used on farms for hauling wood and other chores that require brawn. They have the bulk and muscles of mature bulls, but they have been surgically altered to improve their disposition. Many teams are led by 8-year-old and 9-year-old boys and girls using a steel-tipped wand to remind the animals of the correct direction. The mystique of the boyero in Costa Rica approaches that |
 A.M. Costa Rica file photo
Most boyeros cannot envision Heaven without their animals.
These are being blessed with holy water during the 2006 festival.of the cowboy in the American West. Visitors will have a chance to sample some of the traditions the day before the parade. Many of the participants will camp overnight in Parque la Sabana around the Estadio Nacional on the northwest corner. There will be songs, cookouts and a taste of 19th century life. |
| Young people seek to claim just portions of national budgets |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica staff
An unusual encounter between Guatemalan and Costa Rican young people resulted in a call for more emphasis on youth by government agencies. The encounter was part of the final day of a regional conference on the prevention of violence against children. The conference was set up by the U.N. Children's Fund, and it resulted in agreement among the participants to work to eliminate all forms of violence against children, including corporal punishment. On the other hand, the participants agreed that there has been rising insecurity over the last 10 years in the region and that youth crime and violence is increasing. The participants acknowledged that more data is needed on youth crime and violence. The encounter was between a Guatemalan youth theater group and youngsters from Costa Rica. The young people wrote a declaration in which they said that their peers in Latin America represent the majority and that they deserve more recognition in budgetary decision-making and participation, said a summary from the United Nations. |
The young people called for improved
education, more cultural activities, improved healthcare, more laws and
better enforcement against the exploitation of young people and better paying jobs for youths and programs to allow youngsters to learn technical skills and reduce school dropout rates and child labor. In return, the youngsters agreed to avoid violence themselves and familiarize themselves with topics that affect them. Costa Rica already has a national plan for the prevention of violence and the promotion of peace. The participants at the two-day session agreed that most countries have policies that focus on social control and repression rather than addressing the program beforehand with prevention, the United Nations summary noted. In El Salvador and Honduras the problems of youth gangs is a major law enforcement challenge. Policy makers in Costa Rica have said that lack of opportunity is what leads youth into crime. The central government is trying to stifle youth crime by social action projects and sports. |
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| MIT
scientists cite protein as key in reversing Alzheimer's |
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By the Massachusetts Institute of
Technology
News Office Bolstering disintegrating neural connections may help boost brainpower in Alzheimer's disease patients, Massachusetts Institute of Technology researchers report. The researchers zeroed in on the enzymes that manipulate a key scaffolding protein for synapses, the connections through which brain cells communicate. Synapses are weakened and lost in neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. "We identified a major underlying mechanism through which synapses are strengthened and maintained," said Morgan H. Sheng, a professor at the Boston-based university's Picower Institute for Learning and Memory. "The enzymes involved could be good targets for potential drug treatments." A protein called postsynaptic density-95 is a key building block of synapses. Like the steel girders in a building, it acts as a scaffold around which other components are assembled. "The more PSD-95 molecules, the bigger and stronger the synapse," said co-author Myung Jong Kim, a Picower research scientist. |
Previous research had shown that
mice genetically altered to have less PSD-95 experienced learning and
memory problems. In the current study, the researchers identified for the first time the enzymes that work behind the scenes on PSD-95, adding a phosphate group to a specific amino acid in the PSD-95 protein. This process — called phosphorylation — is critical for PSD-95 to do its job in supporting synapses. "Adding a phosphate group to a single amino acid allows PSD-95 to promote synapse size and strength," said Sheng. "Therefore, promoting this process could help improve cognitive function." Sheng believes manipulating PSD-95 could lead to bigger and more robust synapses, which would boost brainpower in both normal and diseased brains. "It's possible that promoting PSD-95 phosphorylation could also help neuropsychiatric illnesses in which synapse function goes awry, such as schizophrenia, depression and autism," Sheng said. The researchers reported their work in the Nov. 8 issue of Neuron. |
| Chávez
says more war in Mideast would bring $200 oil |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez has warned that oil prices could more than double to $200 a barrel if the United States attacked Iran or Venezuela. Chávez made the comment Saturday during an opening speech in Riyadh. The session was a summit of the Organization of Petroeum Exporting Countries. Before heading to the summit, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was in Bahrain and played down the prospect of a possible war with the United States, saying he did not believe there would be any new war in the region. |
The two-day gathering of the
petroleum exporting countries is only the third summit since its
founding in 1960. In ministerial talks Friday, Saudi Foreign Minister Saud al-Faisal said the organization should avoid declaring concern about the weakening value of the U.S. dollar, saying the mention of it from these nations could have a further impact. Iran and Venezuela are pressing to hold talks about the dollar at the summit. Oil is priced in dollars, so the falling value of the currency contributes to the rising price of oil. The discussion Friday was mistakenly broadcast to journalists via a closed-circuit television system. |
| Another
strong aftershock hits off Chile on third day after killer quake |
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By the A.M. Costa Rica wire services
A U.S. Geological agency says an earthquake has struck off the coast of northern Chile, the latest in a string of quakes shaking the region since Wednesday. Saturday's tremor hit at a shallow depth of 7 kilometers below the surface and struck at a 6.0 magnitude. It |
occurred 125 kms (78 mile) southwest
of Tocopilla, which was hardest-hit by a 7.7 magnitude quake Wednesday. At least two people were killed in that quake and 15,000 people were displaced. Chilean President Michelle Bachelet promised financial aid to help rebuild damaged houses and infrastructure. |
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