August 3, 2006

A closer look at fingerprinting machines


Katy says: Loyal reader and fellow blogger Bruni (I assume those are her eyes at left) has a great post today regarding the accuracy of fingerprint scanning machines used by Venezuela's CNE. I recommend it!

Here is the Spanish version, and here is The Devil's Excrement's English translation. Thanks to both!

August 2, 2006

Facts of the day

Katy says: Did you know that, according to Prof. Marino González of Simón Bolívar University, the total spending on weapons Chávez has announced in the last year and a half (more than US$3 billion) is equivalent to a year and a half's worth of the budget assigned to the Ministry of Health?

Did you know that, according to the same source, 57,607 children between the ages of 0 and 1 died between 1999 and 2004?

Did you know that roughly 80% of these deaths (or 46,086) were preventable?

46 thousand Venezuelan babies have died during this administration because their families lived in deplorable conditions. Their parents' education probably did not reach third grade. Their houses did not have basic services such as sewage or running water. Medical attention before or during childbirth was probably inadequate, and pediatric care was probably not available to them.

Of the 7,400 children between 0 and 1 who died in 2004, more than 2,000 of them died due to complications from childbirth, complications that could have been prevented with greater control during the pregnancy. 986 of these children died due to generalized infections, probably due to lack of access to antibiotics. 686 died due to diarrhea. 300 of these children died of infant malnutrition.

Will the primaries go the way of Jorge's Audi?



Katy says: Several things from the news this morning that are worth commenting.

1. If it's bad to be rich, Jorge Rodríguez is one baaaaad MFer. Former CNE President Jorge Rodríguez totalled his brand-new Audi yesterday. The circumstances of the crash are not yet clear. However, it is known that Mr. Rodríguez was giving a ride to one of José Vicente Rangel's staff members. It is also known that Rodríguez was in the process of starting a news program in Chávez's TV station, Telesur. And finally, Chávez's vice-minister (and Rodriguez's sister) Delcy Rodríguez claims privately-owned Clínica El Ávila refused to give Rodríguez treatment, something the Clinic denies. We wish Rodríguez a speedy recovery. We always enjoy his public appearances, specially because it reminds us that, contrary to what the Constitution says, he has never been impartial in the political debate. We also hope he can buy himself another car that 99.5% of the Venezuelan population could never afford. Go Jorge!

(side note: Rodríguez managed to smash into yet another Audi - imagine that, things are going so well in Venezuela, that there is no space on Caracas' streets for so many Audis)

2. Confusing signs regarding the Primaries. Despite Súmate saying that everything is A-OK with the primaries, Julio Borges is announcing for the first time that he has doubts about the procedure. Negotiations between Borges, Petkoff and Rosales are ongoing, but one wonders if the primaries have the momentum to be carried out. Whatever the outcome, let's hope the resulting candidacy brings together all forces fighting toward the same objective. Unidad!

August 1, 2006

Opinion Duel: Last Salvo

In the last salvo in our Opinion Duel on Benjamin Rausseo, Quico says that Katy makes her case as if chavismo had never happened.

The Duel is now complete. Read it all:
  1. Katy's opening post.
  2. Quico's reply
  3. Katy's counterargument
  4. Quico's retort.

July 31, 2006

We interrupt our debate...

Katy says: Fidel Castro is undergoing intestinal surgery and has handed over power to his brother.

Round two...

... has begun.

Katy says Quico is just another desperate blogger.

Stay tuned for Quico's response.

Conde del Guacharo Opinion Duel is on...

It has started.

Katy wrote there is no spoon for her in this sancocho.

Quico replies that Katy is giving a gift horse a root canal...