COTS hosts Children's Art Exhibit

Alicia Pacelli, COTS AmeriCorps Children Specialist, speaks to the media about her work on the COTS Children Art Exhibit at the opening reception at Barnes and Noble Booksellers in South Burlington on April 5. (LYNN MONTY, Free Press)

Works of art modeled after various masters from Picasso to Cassatt are displayed at Barnes and Noble Booksellers in South Burlington this month. The art exhibit was created by children staying in COTS Family Shelters.

Alicia Pacelli, COTS AmeriCorps Children's Specialist, recently held several workshops with the children staying in COTS family shelters, where she introduced them to different artists' greatest works. They discussed styles, and how to create their own works.

"This has been an incredible experience," Pacelli said.

When she first started in the AmeriCorps position at the COTS Family Shelters last September, one of her goals was to hold a children's art show. When Barnes and Noble reached out to COTS with this opportunity, Pacelli was ecstatic.

COTS Executive Director Rita Markley pointed at one piece of artwork above the fireplace in the caf. She said the painted image was remarkable because the house was high up in the sky, among the clouds, like a far away dream.

"That picture says more than a thousand words I could ever relay to you here," Markley said. "For some kids, that's how far away home feels. What we are doing is celebrating the buy Air Jordan extraordinary talent and creativity of all of the children in our shelters. We are also trying to raise awareness that so many children are without a home."

Markley said in the fall of 2010 there were 63 children getting ready for school in local shelters. Last fall the number jumped to 141 children.

"When you are out in the community you don't see homeless children, because with their back packs and lunch boxes, they look like every other kid. What this event does is make them visible. Air Jordan 2013 There are all of these unseen children, who are living precariously, who don't have a chance to enjoy being kids because their families have been uprooted. This is a way to make them visible, and to do it through their talent, and not their faces."

The exhibit features paintings that capture hopes, dreams, and the challenges of homelessness in the Burlington community.

Children staying in shelters, who participated in the project, ranged in age from preschool to teen. COTS operates three family shelters, with a capacity to serve ten families at one time.

"Nearly every child who stayed at the shelters in the past month and a half is represented," Pacelli said. "While I did offer guidance to the children, the painting workshops became more and more open ended. I wanted the children to have fun; to express themselves; to make a mess with the paint, and they did."

Markley said COTS is fortunate to have Pacelli on board. "It's her talent, sense of humor, and her willingness to try anything that's going to give them a better experience at COTS, and give them a better chance at life. She's just amazing. She makes me feel so hopeful about the world that she would dedicate a year of her life doing the AmeriCorps program just to help our kids on bad days that's the kind of thing I think about."

COTS was founded in 1982 to provide emergency shelter, and prevention services to families and individuals who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless. COTS also offers case management, and referral services to those who are homeless, or marginally housed, and permanent housing to low income families and individuals. Peanut collectingJerry Russin on A passion for Mr. Peanut collectingAviation and Aerospace Careers Class mvu after school on Highgate center provides kids options in aviationnike free run 3 on Milton teen swims across the lakeArchives

but this version is more entertaining

Watching Tiger Woods throw a few tantrums, kick his golf club, drop a few curse words and generally behave like a frustrated hack at sacred Augusta was easily more entertaining than Air Jordan 1 watching him throw down a fist pump after making a 35 foot putt uphill. great theater watching Humility have her way with Tiger on a course. This level forced humility, on the course, Tiger has to deal with now makes him more interesting to watch. The same guy that forced designers to tear up their courses now struggles for even par along with Bill Haas, Scott Stallings and everyone whose names you likely may not know. finished this latest Master a plus 5, behind Jonathan Byrd, Nick Watney and Jason Dufner.

This is not on Tiger former swing coach.

People thought after Tiger won the Bay Hill last week that Tiger was back. That win was his first since 2009. The Tiger that embarrassed the field is gone, forever. In his place is just another world class golfer, who will sometimes win but most of the times won everyone else I fell for Woods in that his dominance was so overwhelming and so impressive it was nearly impossible not to watch. Never once did I feel like cheering for Tiger. Something about his other wordly arrogance just turned me off. So little he projected felt real or genuine, and it always seemed as if he was rubbing it in people collective face.

Tiger knew he was better than his peers, but somewhere along the way he forgot he was not better than the game. This game, perhaps more than any other, humiliates everyone who has dared try it.

Tiger personal stuff is his personal stuff, and none of our business. I simply do not care because it was never intended for public consumption.

Tiger game, and on the course behavior, are. His brattish antics buy Air Jordan are nothing new; not quite on the same level as a John McEnroe but they are certainly far beneath some of the greats Tiger is routinely mentioned with Arnie, Jack, etc.

Tiger life, from his youth to today, follows such a unique story arc it nearly impossible not to watch. This is not like rooting for a guy to fail; he has achieved a level of success and security playing a game most of us will ever know.

You may long for the days of Tiger the Great, where he lapped the field with an arrogant smirk. That was interesting. Watching a course reduce this guy to just being another guy is great fun, too.

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Apr 8, 2012 4:15:34 PM

The "wages of sin" has been man down fall since Adam tasted the forbidden fruit. When someone enters the arena of "public" life where profits are massive; then yes his private antics are news and carry a responsibility with that pay grade.

Tiger asks that we buy Nike, Rolex, NetJets, EA Sports, TLC Eye Centers and Upperdeck, these along with the PGA feed his massive money machine. So, YES, his private life falls under the perview of the public.

Don like him, avoid his sponsers and tell his sponsers you don image on the course IS the business of the course owners and the PGA. Most likely, although it won be made public, the PGA will fine him and Augusta National Club has the right to keep him off the next field. John Daly and Roy Sabbatini.

Tiger is the most fondled and coddled sports athelte in the World. The PGA game is bigger than anyone and they will let Tiger know so.

Who Tiger has failed, other than himself and his family, are his fans. They have given him Golf God Like status and he has failed them in that unwritten "spousal" support contract in an alienation of affection.

He fallen from grace and if he doesn embrace change in his attitude he risks loosing the love of more and more fans.

I don think he now will win another major tournament, his karma is now bad ju ju. We are what we eat and he has chosen to eat the forbidden fruit off the table of public life.

Burbank Player's Devotion to Nike Becomes Skin

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Moore needed to look no further than his bedroom to decide on the trademark, commonly known as the "swoosh." His closet is loaded with Nike apparel. Moore said he has owned 50 pairs of Nike shoes and his family has spent around $4,000 on Nike products.

Vizhier Corpuz, Nike public relations director for basketball, said Moore has not violated trademark law, which prohibits other companies from using the logo.

"We find it flattering," she said. "Some Nike employees here have the swoosh tattooed on their ankles. Actually, [CEO, and co founder] Phil Knight has one, too."

Ironically, Moore doesn't wear Nike sneakers when he plays for Burbank. Converse is the official brand of the Bulldogs this season.

Showdown: Wrestlemania will strike Ventura High tonight when Ventura plays host to Dos Pueblos in a battle of Channel League powers.

Ventura (12 1, 3 0 in league play) is ranked second to defending state champion Santa Ana Calvary Chapel in the Southern Section Division I poll. Dos Pueblos (9 6, 2 2), two time defending league champion, placed second to Calvary Chapel in last season's Division I finals.

Clearly, Ventura is at its best since 1992, when the Cougars won Division I individual and dual meet titles, the first year in which the dual meet tournament was held. Ventura this season has outscored league opponents, 207 17, including a 74 0 victory over Buena.

"We don't have too many holes," Ventura Coach Paul Clementi said.

Ventura's Cristobal Gonzalez, a state finalist last season, is 26 0 at 189 pounds and headed for a second consecutive league title. Joe Martinez is 31 3 at 215 pounds, Dustin Clocherty is 30 4 at 130 and Cody Naumec, who leads the team with 20 pins, is 27 6 at 112. All four are juniors.

Bad Knights: The St. Francis boys' soccer team, defending Southern Section Division II champion, is 3 9 2.

The Golden Knights are off to their worst start in eight seasons under Coach Glen Appels, who has had to deal with inexperienced players, bad luck and widespread illness.

On Jan. 7, St. Francis was scheduled to play host to Mission League rival Loyola. But when power went out on campus, the match was moved to the next day at Loyola. citizen, causing him to miss the match.

By Jan. 13, St. Francis had only nine healthy players for a match at Crespi, leaving Appels to juggle his lineup. But last week, as his players regained their health, Appels began to regain his optimism.

"Unless our whole division is down, there's not a [Southern Section] champ in our league," Appels said. "So if we get things together, we could win eight or nine in a row."

Not so fast. St. Francis lost its next two matches to Chaminade and Notre Dame and is 0 5 in league play.

Versatile scorers: The top three scorers on the Chaminade girls' soccer team are freshman forward Liz Buhn with 12 goals, junior forward Kerrie Clavadetscher with 11 and sophomore midfielder Amy Watts with nine.

Strangely enough, all three are defenders when they play club soccer.

Selective memory: After playing for a Bell Jeff football team that Air Jordan Shoes was 3 17 the past two seasons, one would think Marcos Flores would be happy playing basketball for one of the top teams in Southern Section Division IV A.

But although the Guards have an eight game winning streak, Flores says he misses the gridiron.

"I enjoyed football more," he said. "No one put their head down and no one ever gave up. That kind of thing sticks in your head."

Flores' improved play on the basketball court is one reason the Guards are inching toward the playoffs.

"At the beginning of the season, I thought he was playing with anvils on his ankles and shoulder pads on," Bell Jeff Coach Eli Essa said. "His shot was off, his quickness was off.

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Brown named as Stanford assistant coach to VanDerveer

Stanford women's basketball coach Tara VanDerveer announced Tuesday the addition of Tempie Brown, who spent the previous four seasons at Michigan State, to the Cardinal staff as assistant coach.

"We are very excited about Tempie's addition to the Stanford program. Her level of knowledge, talent and passion for the game will be invaluable to the continued elevation of our team," VanDerveer said. "Tempie's accomplishments and success both on and off the court with the Michigan State program make her a great fit on our staff and we are excited to have her on board."

Brown rose to the position of associate head coach as she helped guide the Spartans to NCAA Tournament appearances in each of her four years in East Lansing.

Over that span the Spartans went 95 37, including a 46 20 mark in conference play as the team finished third or higher in the Big Ten standings.

"I am very excited and humbled by this opportunity to join the Stanford staff and be part of the rich tradition of women's basketball here on The Farm," Brown said. "I am very much looking forward to getting started and working with Tara VanDerveer, her staff and this talented group of student athletes in preparation for what should be a bright and challenging 2013 14 season."

Her duties on the Spartan staff included serving as the staff's academic liaison, strength and conditioning coordinator, and perimeter position coach, while also playing a key role in the scouting of upcoming opponents.

Under Brown's tutelage a total of five Spartan guards garnered All Big Ten recognition over the past four seasons, with Jasmine Thomas, Kiana Johnson and Klarissa Bell each being honored in 2013 while Porsche Poole (2012) and Brittney Thomas (2010 11) were also singled out by the conference for their stellar play.

Brown's work with the quintet of guards led to significant improvements in production. Bell, who averaged just 2.5 points and 2.1 rebounds as a freshman in 2010 11, increased her output to team bests of 10.5 points and 6.1 rebounds as a junior last season.

Both Thomas and Poole more than doubled their scoring averages in each of their senior seasons, en route to team MVP and all conference recognition.

Johnson has led MSU in assists over each of her first two campaigns in East Lansing, already ranking second in the Spartan career annals in assist to turnover ratio (1.78), sixth in assist average (4.1) and eighth in steals average (1.8).

Off the court, Brown oversaw the team's academic success over the past couple years as the Air Jordan 4 staff's liaison to Student Athlete Support Services (SASS).

The Spartans owned a program best cumulative team GPA of 3.1731 after the fall 2012 semester and over Brown's four seasons had 21 student athletes earn Academic All Big Ten honors, with three being named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars.

Last summer, Brown attended the Nike Villa 7, which brings together university athletic directors and the country's elite assistant basketball coaches in an effort to prepare the next generation of college basketball leaders.

In the summer of 2009, she completed the NCAA Black Coaches Administrators Achieving Coaching Excellence (ACE) Program, which provides professional development opportunities for current NCAA collegiate men's and women's basketball coaches.

Including her stint at Michigan State, Brown has spent Air Jordan Shoes the past 14 years in the collegiate coaching ranks.

Prior to arriving in East Lansing she served as an assistant coach at Memphis (2008 09), Northwestern (2004 08), Lehigh (2002 04), Eastern Michigan (2000 02) and Saginaw Valley State (1999 2000).

Brown graduated from the University of Michigan in 1990 with a degree in kinesiology, and later finished her master's degree in exercise physiology in 1992.

A four year letterwinner and two year captain from 1986 90 with the Wolverines, Brown still ranks among the program's top 15 scorers with 1,142 points, in addition to sitting in the top 20 in career assists and steals.

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Bagpipes play up a storm in Pakistan's boomtown

5:06am, EDT

Bagpipes play up a storm in Pakistan's boomtownOne Pakistani city has turned into a boom town by manufacturing and exporting a diverse array of products from bagpipes to replica Civil War uniforms. NBC's Amna Nawaz reports from Sialkot, Pakistan.

By Amna Nawaz, Correspondent, NBC News

SIALKOT, Pakistan It's not a sound you expect to hear in Pakistan. And yet, here we stand, in the heart of the country's Punjab province, listening to the theme song from Titanic played on traditional bagpipes.

The Pakistani teenager serenading us with the soaring wails of this iconic Scottish instrument was taught to play by his father, who was taught by his father before him.

And his bagpipe was made right here in Sialkot, a city of 3 million that's emerged as the world's leading manufacturer of the instrument. More than 100,000 locally made bagpipes are exported every year. Geoffrey's factory is one of over a dozen in the city. His grandfather began the business when a British army officer, part of the colonial forces in the region in the 19th century, approached him to get his own bagpipe fixed.

"My grandfather not only fixed that one, he made two more!" Geoffrey said.

Today, Geoffrey's company makes and exports nearly 3,000 bagpipes a year.

In a narrow, high ceilinged room covered in sawdust and lit by an over sized skylight, five workers squat before their lathes, expertly churning out intricately carved bagpipe parts. When the power goes out, as it often does in Pakistan, a single generator spurts to life, filling the room with a deafening hum.

Farooq Naeem / AFP Getty Images file

Ibrahim, the son of Farooq Ahmad, owner of the Imperial Bagpipe Manufacturing Company, tests a bagpipe at a bagpipe factory in Sialkot, Pakistan.

Every piece is handcrafted. Every bagpipe is hand assembled. The cheapest bagpipes cost around $100; the most expensive, over $1,000. But Geoffrey, like many local businessmen, has also found other niche markets.

A combination of cheap textiles and skilled seamstresses prevalent in Sialkot led to the costume wing of his company. Civil War uniforms every year.

The vintage, leather goods wing followed soon after manufacturing everything from footballs to buy Air Jordan cleats.

you need made? We can make it here. Anything at all, Geoffrey said.

Sialkot is an anomaly in Pakistan economy. In a country where taxes aren regularly collected, power companies can produce sufficient electricity, and the currency continues to lose value, Sialkot business community decided to go its own way.

Ten years ago, business leaders pooled their resources to construct the nation first privately funded airport. It now boasts the country longest runway and more than 30 domestic and international flights a week. Last year alone, more than 6,000 tons of locally produced exports were flown out.

Those products run the gamut from bagpipes and costumes to medical instruments and sporting goods.

Companies around the world have long tapped into Sialkot manufacturing prowess for access to cost effective, high quality goods. Nike, Adidas and Puma all have contracts here. A walk down one main market street reveals over a dozen medical instrument and surgical supply storefronts, all selling local goods.

Sheikh Abdul Majid, the chairman of the local chamber of commerce, said Sialkot exports brought in more than $1.4 billion last year, and the local economy had grown by 10 15 percent every year for the last five years.

The IMF estimates the national economy, by comparison, may grow by just 3.5 percent this fiscal year. Across the country, fewer than a million Pakistanis pay income taxes.

Majid said all local exports were taxed, with the money re invested into the city.

Farooq Naeem / AFP Getty Images file

A Pakistani laborer prepares components to make bagpipes at a bagpipe factory in Sialkot, on April 14, 2011.

fixed roads, built schools, even put in sewage systems with the money we been able to bring in, he said. we plan to continue doing that, every year. a new national government, elected largely on its promise to right an Air Jordan 1 upended economy, the secrets to Sialkot success could prove useful.

Much voter frustration centered on 20 hour power cuts in parts of the country, a failure of the previous government to tackle corruption, and a lack of any clearly articulated plan to address either.

After just one month on the job, the new leaders plans for emergency cash infusions to the power sector and increasing tax revenues are beginning to take shape. However, economists say an economic revival on a national level could take years.

Australian Air Jordan 2013 Open Debuts Cutting Edge Tennis Equipment

The beginning of the 2006 Tennis Pro Tour kicks off this week in Australia. The Australian Open kicks off the Grand Slam tournament race and offers an incredible opportunity to tennis manufacturers to preview the newest tennis equipment technology. Millions of tennis fans are watching closely to see who will reign and to find the newest and coolest tennis equipment and apparel.

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The Australian Open also brings Lleyton Hewitt the opportunity to show off his new Yonex shoes. Hewitt formerly used Nike, but he has recently made a change. His new shoes will be available in March or April to the public. Barbara Schett, a European tennis powerhouse, will be using the new Wilson W6 racquet, part of their new W Line, designed specifically for women.

Finally, a number of pros on tour like Guillermo Coria and Marat Safin will be using new Adidas Barricade IV shoes. Although these tennis shoes are available now for purchase in several colors, Safin and Coria will be using special limited addition shoes. This special Barricade shoe line of only 1000 pairs will be showcased by players like Safin and Coria will have pairs 1 and 2.

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Also, just because you see this equipment being used today, doesn't mean that it will be available for purchase right away. Premier Websites that can offer 95% of the equipment on the market won't have access to some equipment until a few months after they debut at tournaments like the Australian Open. Of course, you don't have to buy locally take the information you gather to the internet to get the best price.

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The Australian Open is sure to provide great competition and exciting tennis. Don't forget to look for debut tennis newest equipment and technology. If you want to invest, begin by looking online for user reviews and match your level of skill with the tennis racquet you choose. If you're a smart buyer and you choose wisely, you'll have cutting edge tennis equipment that will help you truly improve your game.

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Angelina shakes a leg and we Twitter

Sadly, technology isn yet capable of making boring people interesting.

They been around 36 years. Their careers started small they earned mentions in the odd review, fitted in with the crowd, never did anything overtly offensive. They were commendable, generally and quietly envied by others in the field. But like all successful types, they were not satisfied with trivial victories and instead decided one day to take a stand, quite literally, like never before.

It was a day they would cherish the rest of their lives, the day they gained international fame, fortune and desire. On February 26, Angelina Jolie legs, or at least the right one, earned its own Twitter account.

For those who know nothing about the mystifying world of Twitter, its creators describe it as a social networking and microblogging service that allows you answer the question; "What are you doing?" by sending 140 character messages, called "tweets", to your friends or "followers".

To the lackey, Twitter is a glamourised method of surveillance, allowing the online world to know exactly what you doing, thinking and consuming during your every waking micro second.

At Monday Oscars ceremony, Jolie poked her leg out of her dress a bit. This alone was worthy of international media hysteria and most disturbingly, over 36, 000 Twitter followers for the account "Angie They can now log on for their daily feed of cyber stalking safe in the knowledge they receive breaking updates such as "I a leg!!" "You have to admit I one hell of a leg" and "Check me out! Leg!!".

Had the internet early pioneers known their creation would morph into this, they may have quietly jumped off a bridge somewhere before finishing the project.

But it not just celebrities or their biological appendages that commit their lives to daily, even hourly, "tweets".

The thing I find most extraordinarily baffling is that most people on Twitter are everyday, heinously mundane people.

If there is anything I have learnt from my experience with social media, it that a communication platform in the hands of the uninteresting is a very dangerous thing.

Although I don shun the idea of Facebook, the amount of pure inane garbage people continue to spam to my newsfeed is almost enough to make my eyeballs bleed.

I have friends who think it necessary Retro Air Jordan to update Facebook every time they take it upon themselves to break a sweat. Such updates typically include, but are not limited to: "About to go for a run, should be a hard one, but looking to scrape a second off my time".

Their 637 friends wait in vein popping anticipation, refreshing the page for 40 minutes for the next thrilling instalment.

"What a run. Still haven beaten my personal best thanks to a good 0.07 seconds of moisture drag, damn those puddles! Shower time!".

I waiting in fear for the day Nike invents a pedometer that allows you to update your Facebook. "500 steps so far! Really sweaty! Would be going way faster if I could touch type on this thing sort it out Nike!"

Another equally baffling phenomenon is meal posting, the bizarre trend of uploading pictures of what you or others are eating.

Sadly, technology isn yet capable of making boring people interesting.

I reluctant to admit I have a Twitter account. For all its pitfalls, the ability to instantly update or pass on news from around the world makes it a key weapon in my news freak artillery.

The online news revolution means virtually every outlet now has a Twitter account, allowing the everyday voyeur to receive breaking updates from every corner of the globe.

My personal profile, on the other hand, is dismally inactive. I have six followers, five of whom are personal friends who signed up out of sympathy. The other is a sales consultant for Japan Food Corp called Phillip Gwon. I have tweeted once, by mistake, when I re posted a Reuters update about the presidential transfer in the Yemeni government.

I don know if I alone in this but the people I be most interested in getting hourly updates from are either dead or fictional.

"Anne head looks quite pretty now that it not attached to her body am having second thoughts." Henry VIII.

As much as I relish the fact I can access practically any information I want about my friends and favoured personalities, the world will probably never need to know acute details of my own daily routine.

and the Ability To Think More for Themselves

There are two types of people here,'' shouts Maria Gonzalez, a 19 year old training to be a hotel desk clerk. Those who know the revolution and those who were born after. Almost everyone born after feels the same: They don't like it.''

Almost 60 percent of Cuba's 10.5 million population is under age 30. The government is paying more attention to the young now because they realize that's where trouble could ferment,'' says a European diplomat.

The UJC has a new chief, 35 year old Roberto Robaina, who has been praised for putting new vigor into the organization. But this diplomat adds that the UJC has always been active, because anybody ambitious knows the best way to build a career in this society is to have Men's Air Jordans the right ticks on your file.''

The UJC has a membership of about half a million. That still leaves most Cuban youths outside the party.

Yet the disenchanted youth are not considered a threat to toppling Castro.

There's indifference, but not active opposition,'' says a Western diplomat. There is no civil rights movement with which youth can identify. There are no academic or artistic leaders who stand together or against the leadership. The majority who oppose Castro have gone to Miami or to jail.''

Common gripes among Cuban youth are the lack of Western style clothing and the inability to travel. Some say they would be content to live in Cuba (with free education, free health care, and a guaranteed job) if they could buy Nike sneakers, Guns and Roses'' tapes, and a plane ticket to visit relatives in Miami or New York.

The buy Air Jordan trip to the US may become attainable in the near future. Isidoro Malmierca, minister for external relations confirmed last month the government is studying'' plans to lower the age restrictions on Cubans traveling abroad. Last year, it was dropped to 45 for men and 40 for women. Western diplomats expect the age limit to fall to 18 within a few months.

The move may be in response to the loss of scholarships that used to allow about 30,000 Cuban students annually to study in East European countries.

But United States officials are worried. Last year 36,000 Cubans visited the US. With lower age limits, we will suddenly have an influx of people with travel visas who aren't really travelers. They'll be immigrants,'' says an official.

Other youths say they want more than freedom to travel and buy quality goods. They want to live in a climate free of fear. I love my country. I won't leave. But I'm afraid just to talk with you,'' says Evideo, a young professional watching warily for undercover state security police. It's not physical repression but mental. Inside your mind, all is forbidden or obligatory,'' he says.

Alfredo, an electronics student, says, We are tired of Castro. He's a dictator.'' Alfredo wants live here and to run his own business. Any kind of business. Maybe a television repair shop. A record store,'' he says. I would like to take the best of capitalism and keep the best of socialism.

Here, you don't see poor people in the street, nor people with out shoes. We have free health care. No gangs and no drugs. Well, some marijuana.'' He finishes resignedly: And we have Castro.''