Internet access is heavily restricted and the country has one of the lowest internet reaches in the developed world.  It is estimated that only about 2% of the population can readily access the internet.  For those who can, the experience is very expensive and very heavily filtered and censored.  You can access what the Government allow you to access, often just restricted to selected sites copied onto Cuba’s own small intranet.  Slowly the filtering and censorship hase been increased in the country, whilst the infrastructure development has ground to a crawl.

It is interesting to compare how a relatively minor censoring activity has gathered pace in Cuba as the rulers have seen how quickly information can be exported using things like Twitter and Facebook.  It is also a warning against countries like Iceland who are taking their first steps in filtering by blocking access to porn online, meaning that users will have to use proxies for viewing such content.

One of the most famous bloggers in Cuba is the dissident Yoani Sanchez, who in this interview by Motherboard explains how a blogger operates in such a restrictive environment.

She speaks of how people use USB and flash drives to distrbute content across the country.  One person will go and use the internet, and then download a copy to pass on to other people.  One website visit becomes read by 1,10 and eventually hundreds of people using the storage devices.

She explains how the more restrictive the Government gets with the internet, then the more adaptive the countries bloggers and digital activists become.  Many operate solely using Twitter which can be utlised simply by using SMS messages by phone.

One in four Florida residents is of Hispanic origin, with one third of them being of Cuban descent.  It is no wonder that so much of the culture of the Southeast is rich in Cuban heritage.  While we may not be able to locate a Cuban cigar in the United States (at least not LEGALLY), we can enjoy a good Cuban sandwich.  This sandwich is pure food genius: a sandwich roll, roast pork, swiss cheese, ham, pickles, and mustard are all put together and grilled.  The result is a hot, melted, gooey sandwich that is high on taste AND unfortunately high on calories.  

Eating one Cuban sandwich requires a good workout in order to burn off all those extra calories.  Looking for the right workout to help combat all the Cuban sandwiches?  Check out an insanity workout review.  You will probably see that this workout will not only help you to burn off the calories from the Cuban sandwich you ate for lunch, but also help get you a jump start on burning off the chicharrones you will have as a late afternoon snack.  

You can’t visit Miami, Florida without a trip through Little Havana to grab a delicious sandwich or two.  You probably won’t find a cigar that Cuba is so well known for, but you can certainly enjoy a Cuban-inspired meal that will make your insanity workout worth every single second of heart-pounding sweat!

Castro’s successful revolution took place at the height of the Cold War, and his triumph meant that Communism was at the doorstep of America. It did not come as a shock either when Castro aligned himself with the Soviet Union. With this move, the US stopped importing sugar from Cuba and imposed its embargo. In retaliation, the Soviets promised to sell weapons to Cuba.

For more than four decades, Fidel Castro ruled Cuba with an iron fist until 2008 when he transferred his power to Raul, his brother. However nothing much has changed in terms of their relations, because even though the Soviet Union had fallen and Communism had collapsed, Cuba remains a Communist country.

For people who are just focused on their day to day tasks, it might seem like this situation can go on forever. But if the Communist Party were to collapse or something drastic happens who knows what the future holds for US-Cuba relations?  If Fidel and Raul Castro will lose their power, anything can happen.  

If you are interested in putting up a website about the history and perhaps the future between US and Cuba, you can actually do so without spending a huge sum for it. Just check for web design pricing online so you can find the best option available.

Next is Ciego de Avila, it is frequented by a good number of tourists every year. Besides that, there is Matanzas this city is famous for its Afro-Cuban tradition. Located on the northern coast of the island of Cuba on the Bay of Matanzas, this city is placed at a distance of about 90 kilometers from Havana in Cuba and 32 kilometers from the town of Varadero. Matanzas is broadly visited by various tourists. There is also Santiago de Cuba, it forms the capital of the Santiago de Cuba Province. Located in the south-eastern part of Cuba, this city is another major destination in the nation. It is thronged by a good number of visitors from across the globe. There are still a lot of beautiful places to go in Cuba you can enjoy your time.

It is an essential step in redevloping teh socalist based economy of Cuba.  Can you imagine trying to run a business where there were no wholesale goods available.  A country where shopkeepers and private businesses could only buy goods at retail prices to resell?  It simply doesn’t work and has a huge dampening effect on entrepreneurs.

The Ministry of Commerce is seeking to remedy this, on the 14the February the new wholesale supplier was launched.  The company will sell just about everything and will deal in either of Cuba’s two main currencies.  Shopkeepeers will have places to but wholesale food and entrepreneurs will be free to launch businesses resellling anything from refirgeration to computers through them.

This is the latest step being made in Castro’s social and economic reform program to try and make Cuba’s hugely inefficient economy work better.  Now people are being actively encouraged to launch businesses and try to make money.  All across the country you’ll find small businesses starting up.  There is even some mention of some of the internet restrictions and filtering that make ecommerce more difficult being lifted.  

This will allow people to trade globally using the internet without using workarounds and VPNs to bypass blocks.  For example using techologies like this web site displays - http://www.proxyusa.com/iplayer-ipad-us-vpn to make a computer or iPad look like it’s based in the United States.

Now word comes that the Castro family is set to give up power entirely, which I have a hard time believing, don’t you?  I mean, if the family wanted to give up power, why have Raul take over for about 5 years?  Instead, doesn’t this seem like Raul treated his reign as a transitional figure and that a younger member of the family is going to magically “win” the coming election?

Blood pressure, also called as BP, is simply defined as the force of blood against the walls of arteries as it is redistributed around the body by the heart. A BP reading can be classified as normal, above or below the normal range.

There are two parts of a BP reading or result, the systolic pressure and the diastolic pressure. The force of blood in the arteries as the heart beats is called systolic pressure and when the heart relaxes, it is called diastolic pressure.

Some individuals do not know their BP readings because they don’t have time for annual check-ups or they just assume that they are healthy. A blood pressure check is a vital sign which can reveal necessary information about a person. There are underlying causes why a person has low BP (hypotension) or high BP (hypertension) and early detection can be an advantage. This is because pre-hypertensive conditions are much easier to treat compared to later stages of hypertension.

There are many causes of faulty blood pressure during pregnancy. Improper diet, lack of exercise or physical activity, alcohol, smoking and others. It can also be a symptom of an underlying disease. To prevent any complications, it is recommended to consult a doctor to confirm BP results. This is why a chart that shows if a BP reading is within normal limits can be a useful guide for everyone.

Yes, I said that.

I had a conversation with a retailer who focuses on wine clubs and even offers a large number of international shipping options for those people who are interested in them.  Cuba not surprisingly isn’t on the list of countries where they can actually ship wine.

Of course, neither are 20 states within the United States for this California based retailer, Canada is a no go for a number of Provinces as well.

Overall, that’s pretty sad don’t you think?

I mean, the real question quickly becomes for me, how can the American government work with Cuba to affect political change, while also encouraging economic development?  I mean, we’ve contained their economy for like what 40 years?  Has anything happened but peaceful transitions between Castro and his brother? Isn’t it a good time to try something new?

The reality is that Cuba was slowly sinking under the weight of thousands of unproductive state workers, a weak economy and the US trade embargos which have been in place for years.  During 2010 over half a million state workers were laid off, the individuals encouraged to start their own business, join private cooperatives and similar ventures.  The more liberal policies were implemented to encourage the Cuban residents to adjust to their new ways of life.

This was no small scale change, it effected over 10% of the workforce.  Cuba had attempted some small scale change like this previously when the Soviet Union collapsed – at the time it’s main supporting beneficiary.  There have been other economic reforms in an attempt to assist this major shift in policy.  The tax rate has been reduced drastically as a temporary measure to encourage new businesses and enterprise.

One of the main beneficiaries has been the tourism industry.  Many new businesses have been established to support the ever growing number of tourists who visit Cuba especially from Europe and North America.  One of the main attractions for Cubans to work in this sector is the chance to earn foreign currency which is a much safer store of value than Cuban currency,

All across the country there are wonderful hotels, tourist attractions like tours and scuba diving classess.  In Havana the lively nightclub scene attracts younger visitors from all over the world too. Cuba is also hoping that lots of new restaurants will redeem it’s reputation of poor food.

There are also lots of entrepreneurs who are establishing businesses online, previously an impossibility due to the poor infrastructure and inaccessibility of the internet.   There is still the need to be careful online in Cuba as State monitoring and filtering is still very high but access is improving all the time.  Last time the author visited I was able to watch the BBC Iplayer on my Ipad from my hotel in Havana, something that would have seemed well nigh impossible two years ago.

How To Use Cat Litter?

Cat litter is quite an investment, but luckily there are plenty of brands that are fitted to every need and budget. Upon entering a grocery or pet store, the selection of brands and types of litter can be very overwhelming. There are many different types of product that are designed to suit different needs such as multiple cats, odor eliminating, amongst others. However, each household is different so everyone will likely need a different type of litter.

When it comes to training a kitten to use a litter box to begin with, the process can be a bit frustrating. While some babies go right to the box out of the gate and will have no problems, other kittens may be scared of the idea and will completely avoid the litter box. For those who have this issue, the simple solution is a litter attractant. There are a few companies that offer a product that simply sprays onto the litter and entices the cat to use the litter box versus somewhere else in the house that they are not supposed to go.

Many people experience that is the complete opposite of their pet’s inability to use the regular or automatic litter box. When it comes to smell, the odor that comes from this area of the house can be incredibly unattractive and overwhelming. It can be difficult to find a place for the automatic cat litter box that the smell does not completely take over the entire house, but a simple way to help eliminate the odor so that it is not a factor on where exactly you place the

box is by use of a traditional household project.

Everyone has baking soda in their house, and it has many uses. But one of the little-known purposes is for reducing of smell for cats. Before filling the litter box, or when you are cleaning it out, simply sprinkle a bit of baking soda down. This product is a great way to help reduce that disgusting litter box smell without using harmful chemicals.