VISTA’s pic of the week
November 3rd, 2009 by cathleenfarrellVISTA’s next issue — health
August 5th, 2009 by cathleenfarrellThe Happiest Place on Earth
July 6th, 2009 by cathleenfarrellCosta Rica has stolen Disneyworld’s self-proclaimed distinction of being “the happiest place on earth.” According to a just released poll by the New Economics Foundation, a UK-based think tank, Costa Ricans report the highest life satisfaction in the world, have the second-highest average life expectancy of the Americas (second only to Canada) and have an ecological footprint that means that the country only narrowly fails to achieve the goal of ‘one-planet living’: consuming its fair share of the Earth’s natural resources. (Here’s a link to the report: http://www.happyplanetindex.org/news/).
Anybody who has ever visited or vacationed in the Central American paradise will tell you that indeed people there seem to be happy, cheerful, productive and overall content with their lives. What’s their secret? The NEF report puts a lot of emphasis on environmental sustainability as an indicator of living well. Costa Ricans have long been at the forefront of the environmental movement. What can we learn from them in order to improve our day-to-day lives?
Dump the Pump day in Miami
June 18th, 2009 by cathleenfarrell
GThese prices are not so far off.
The Education President
June 12th, 2009 by cathleenfarrellPresident Obama made a little girl’s day yesterday when he wrote her an excuse for missing school. Kennedy Corpus, a fourth-grade student in Green Bay, Wisconsin, skipped the last day of school to attend the President’s town hall forum on health care reform, along with her father. While introducing himself as he asked the president a question, Kennedy’s father mentioned that he had taken his daughter out of school to attend the forum. The president asked, with a straight face, if she needed an excuse note from him. The audience laughed but the president went ahead and wrote a note anyway (see above). I love the fact that he takes school so seriously that even on the last day, even for something as interesting and educational as a rally with the president, Obama thought it was appropriate to write a note to the school. It’s a great example, especially for parents who take their kids out of school in the middle of the year to go on ski vacations and the like!
Southcom leader to Europe
June 11th, 2009 by cathleenfarrellAdmiral James Stavridis is headed to Europe as Supreme Allied Commander; his appointment was confirmed by the Senate yesterday. Stavridis is well known to (and well liked by) many
here and in Latin America. For the last two and a half years, the Admiral has headed up US Southern Command (a joint command of over 1,200 military and civilian personnel representing the the US Army, Navy, Air Force, Mairn Corps, Coast Guard, as well as other federal agencies). Not only does he have distinguished naval career, Stavridis is also very cultured, widely read and traveled, but best of all, he’s a great listener — not something you see too much in people who have reached his level. I was heartened by his approach to Latin America — he rejected the term “backyard” in refering to Lat Am, saying it was offensive — and he seemed to listen at least as much as he spoke. Stavridis holds a PhD in international relations from the Fletcher School and has one of the best bibilographies on the region I’ve seen. The admiral made lots of friends in Lat Am as well as in south Florida. No doubt he’ll do the same in Europe. Buen viaje, Almirante.
Ay luv Miami!!!
June 10th, 2009 by cathleenfarrellWhat’s it like to live in a bilingual, bicultural city? Well, life isn’t evenly divided between the two languages and two cultures. Sometimes, it doesn’t even seem quite fair. I was having breakfast at Little Havana’s famed Versailles early this morning when I spotted one of life’s little inequities. (See photos). Looking at the menu I noticed that if you order bacon in English, you get four pieces for $1.95. If you order bacon in Spanish, you get three pieces for the same $1.95. I thought this was so funny that I took photos. (Actually, the funny part was probably me taking photos of a laminated menu at 7:30 in the morning…) I asked the manager about the discrepancy and he didn’t quite believe me so he brought over a menu. Sure enough, I was right. He had his laugh for the morning but he also assured me that “no importa el idioma; siempre te damos por lo menos cuatro o cinco pedazos de bacon.”
Moon over muggy Miami
June 9th, 2009 by cathleenfarrellHurricane season
June 8th, 2009 by cathleenfarrellJune 1 marks the official beginning of hurricane season. And those of us who have lived through a couple of doozies we mark the date with dread! I’m fairly prepared (flash lights, canned goods, water, bleach) but the aftermath of last Friday’s storm in Miami makes me realize that our competent local authorities are NOT prepared. A three-hour storm drenched the city and Miami Beach was completely inundated with 9 inches of rain. Overflow from canals turned the city’s streets into rivers, there were hundreds of abandoned cars and the water didn’t receed until the next morning. It took me three hours to drive 40 blocks along main streets. I didn’t see a single police car or cop along the way, even though traffic lights were out for most of the route.
I shudder to think of what would happen if we got hit by anything more than a force 2 hurricane…









