No Doctors, More Avian Flu and JLG & Mana Rock The Vote

News from the DR newswire:

Peacemaking at Rio Summit
Hoy is quoting unnamed sources that claim that during today's meetings, heads of state at the XX Rio Summit will discuss the recent tensions between Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador.

Foreign Minister Carlos Morales Troncoso says that President Leonel Fernandez has spoken to the Colombian and Venezuelan presidents and is confident that both will act responsibly. He added that Fernandez has spoken to leaders of the South American neighbors with a view to helping reach a solution to the tensions.

Aside from trying to mediate South American troubles, coordinators have released the rough draft of the Santo Domingo Declaration, covering the topics of discussion for the Summit. These include energy, natural disasters and development. According to vice Foreign Relations Minister Jose Manuel Trullols, coordinators met over a two-day period, in closed sessions, in order to draw up the Summit agenda. He explained that once the coordinators had selected the topics, foreign ministers had to give their approval.

These topics will be presented to the leaders tomorrow. It is expected that 14 of the 19 heads of state of the Rio Group countries, and two prime ministers, will be attending the Summit. El Caribe reports that the Foreign Ministers will hold an initial meeting in the Ministry's Green Room at 9:30 today. The Summit will begin three hours later.

Today's work will finish at 5pm followed by a special dinner for the heads of state at the Presidential Palace at 8:30pm. On Friday, the heads of state will meet at 9am and the official Summit photo is scheduled for 9:30am. President Leonel Fernandez will make the inauguration speech followed by an address by Guyanese President Bharat Jagdeo. Then at 4pm President Leonel will hand over the Pro Tempore Rio Group Ministry to Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

Doctors keep promise
Doctors went on strike yesterday, as promised, but some patients still made their way to hospitals in the hope of seeing a doctor. Hoy is reporting that many of the country's hospitals were empty yesterday and that many patients, even the elderly, had to return home without receiving treatment.

Robert Reid Cabral, Dario Contreras, Padre Billini, Francisco Moscoso Puello, Luis Eduardo Aybar and Salvador B. Gautier Hospitals experienced almost complete work stoppages. Dominican Medical Association (CMD) president Waldo Ariel Suero described the strike as a success, while pointing out that doctors did treat patients who needed emergency care. The strike is expected to continue today in 188 hospitals and no word of any truce or any dialogue has been announced.

The Alternative Social Forum and some of the transport unions are supporting the strike. State sector doctors are fighting for a wage increase, among other things, and say they should be receiving a monthly salary of RD$59,000.

Bird flu worse than feared
Initially dismissed as an isolated incident in Higuey, the appearance of the H5N2 virus or avian flu in fighting cocks is causing concern as animal health officials admit that it is a nationwide problem. Nine separate cases of bird flu have now been confirmed by the Department of Livestock.

The first case was detected in Higuey in December and was thought to be isolated, but cases have continued to appear, the latest announced in late February. All chickens and roosters that have tested positive for bird flu have been killed and in some cases birds with no trace of the disease have also been culled as a precaution.

So far cases have been found in Barranca, La Vega, Santiago, Bani, Barahona, San Juan de la Maguana, Pedernales, La Otra Banda, Santo Domingo and San Pedro de Macoris. Fears about bird flu led Puerto Rican and Haitian officials to ban Dominican chicken and egg imports. PR eventually lifted the ban, but Haiti has yet to lift the ban.

JLG rocks the vote
Dominican music superstar Juan Luis Guerra is teaming up with Mexican rock group Mana to host a concert in Miami, Florida as a way to get Hispanic/Latino voters out to the polls for the US presidential election in November.

The concert will be held on 11 March at the Adrienne Arsht Center in Miami. Tickets for the show will sell for between US$200 and US$350, and proceeds will go to the "Ya es hora, ve y vota," campaign. The concert is being sponsored by Democarica USA and "Mi Familia Vota," among other groups.

*smooches...hoping none of my peeps on the island need medical attention or eats chicken"
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I wish I could be in Miami for that concert- you know how absolutely AWESOME Juan Luis and Mana must be on stage together? I'm jealous!

I'm A Little Swayed...

So I'm on this mailing list as a result of signing a petition to lift the travel restrictions to and from Cuba, and today I received an email from the group that kind of makes me lean towards Obama IF I decide to vote in November.

He's all for sitting down with the post-Fidel administration and stated that he would allow travel to Cuba for relatives.

I'm kinda feeling that...

*smooches...wishing Hillary wasn't afraid to go against the grain on this*
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if anyone is interested in reading the email I received detailing Obama's position on this issue, let me know and I'll forward it to you.

Park Avenue Prophet

I overheard a Dominican woman telling her friend:

"Hombres hay mucho pero buenos hay poco"

Preach on, sistah girl, preach ON!

*smooches...still on a break from dating*
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I know, I know; a lot of you need the translation. Loosely translated, it's basically the Spanish equivalent of "A good man is hard to find."

Attention All Five-Feet-Nothing Mexican Men:

I have no desire to date you.

My 12yr old daughter is taller than you.

And you're hairdo is left over from 1963.

And you have gold teeth.

That is all...

*smooches...but NOT for the short Mexicans!*
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I really want to know where oh where they get the balls to even THINK about asking me out...I'm not even approachable- ask anyone!!

Operation Bikini Body, Day 46: Mari To The Rescue

Did I ever mention how much I love my family? They're crazy and annoying and on many occasion have driven me to drink- literally- but when you need them they are so there!

My lovely sister (yeah- eat it up girl! You know how you love to shine!!) has offered to add me to her Bally's membership under their "Friends and Family" deal, which would allow me to still attend the gym but at a much reduced rate.

COOLNESS!!

So, no more excuses. No more pouting. No more woe is me. As soon as the doc gives me the green light I'm getting back on the horse and will conquer this weight demon THIS YEAR.

I mean, for crying out loud- it's only 20 lousy pounds! I've lost more than that before (yes, my dearies...this Jaded NYer once weighed 200 lbs!! Can you believe it? But a very nice trainer helped me shed 30lbs to a more respectable 170). What's my freakin' problem already??

*smooches...reaching a healthy BMI in 2008 no matter what*
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and did I mention Mari's also taking me to the Kanye/Rihanna/Lupe Fiasco concert in May for Mothers' Day? Don't hate 'cause my sister is cooler than yours!