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A german shepherd is known for its loyalty. When Ms. Menéndez chose to refer to herself as a "german shepherd" in the title of her book, she was obviously trying to borrow something from the animal kingdom that her own genetic make-up sorely lacked, although in other points of bitchhood there was indeed an uncanny resemblance

What I most dislike about her — and there is so much to dislike — is her posture as a besieged heroine in a community of fanatics that want her blood. On countless ocassions she has referenced e-mails (real or spurious) which she says prove that diversity is shunned and punished among Cuban-Americans (none of the e-mails she quotes, by the way, ever contained an implicit or explicit threat, just undistilled disdain). Yet she lives and thrives among us, well, not exactly among us, let us just say within the general vicinity. If it weren't so damaging to our community, her sense of self-importance would actually be funny. Except among those of us who make a hobby of following her poison-tipped inanities, few in the Cuban exile community knows who she is or cares. She is as irrelevant as anyone can be among "her" people. Of course, this is exactly as it should be since her only connection to that community is her exploitation of it for fun and profit; mostly profit, since her contempt for us must make it a very unpleasant experience for her to be around us. This is amply proven in her columns. She does not know us. She does not want to know us. Such knowledge might endanger her career by altering her carefully-wrought caricature of us which is her bread and butter. She is, of course, no phenomenon. There have been anti-semitic Jews and anti-black African-Americans, and, of course, the legions of anti-American Americans. Well, she is an anti-Cuban Cuban, not the first one, certainly, but surely the most obnoxious and self-important. Her infinitesimal talents and disdainful mien are at the service of any individual or cause which demeans our people. She is a monster but not one of our own creation. Reared in Southern California and transplanted to Miami as a "fresh (read ignorant) voice" she has re-paid The Miami Herald's confidence in her amply. This award for her most bigotted and hateful column about us is definitive proof of what we have long contended — the surest way to be recognized by the mainstream media is to bash Cuban-Americans; and, conversely, the surest way to be ignored is to defend them.

Manuel,

I couldn't agree more.

I have a German Sheppard and in her next life, Ana can only hope to be as kind, loving and loyal as my beautiful dog.

I'm offended on behalf of my dog when she makes this comparison.

I used the title of her book because it sounds silly and by it I meant I wish she were in Cuba. But the truth is that she didn't write that about herself. It's a line in the book, which is a book of short stories, in which a character says that in Cuba he was a German Shepherd but in Miami he is a poodle (or something like that). It's basically a guy lamenting the fact that he was a big fish in Cuba and he's a small fish in Miami.

Either way it's a dumb title.

I remember her at last years Nostalgia quite well. She stopped by Babalu with her smirky snobby attitude fully in place. There's a popular label for people like her, usually mis-applied to sucessful black Americans like Condoleeza Rice or Colin Powell, it refers to one who dwells in a house and does their best to please "the man" even if it means disowning their own. That $2500 is a lot more than she's worth.

Thanks for the help yesterday with my blog Val. You were right - I pissed somebody off. But the blogger folks investigated and realized the complaint was bogus and return my blogger posting ability.

I was chatting with some Canadians about this retaliation against them and they revealed how they really feel about Cubans. We are all lazy cowards. I put it on my blog and the link so folks could see for themselves.

Thanks again buddy!

What the hell is her problem? Seriously. It seems like she has a deep resentment of this community that goes far beyond objective criticism. Perhaps family issues?

Freedom of speech means that she has the right to say what she wants -- it does NOT mean that anyone has to agree for the sake of "diversity!"

People in South Florida happen to NOT agree with her doesn't mean that dissent is stifled... it just means that her ideas are unpopular. Sorry, Ana, if someone's ideas suck, they just won't sell on the "marketplace of ideas."

Maybe that's why she's against the commercialism of Cuba Nostalgia? Because it sells, and she doesn't?

Pingisilina. Or lack thereof.

Once again I say it. Esa "Tipa" es solamente una comemi*rda. Tiene tremenda fama de eso entre la comunidad Cubana.

I certainly sympathize with the above comments on Menendez (sic), but I'm afraid they may be playing into her "besieged moderate Cuban" posture, which will only make her more marketable in the MSM arena. Sometimes, even negative attention is "good" attention, in practical terms.

Of course she has no credibility with the community she supposedly represents and presumes to cover (meaning the Cuban community I know and belong to); of course she is a classic Cubanoid Herald specimen like others before her (remember Max Castro?); of course she is repugnant. Still, it may be wise to observe the principle of "Al bagazo, poco caso." In other words, there are far bigger fish to fry.

Henry:

You are right, such is the correct attribution of I was a German Shepherd. Nevertheless, the mere fact that she used that line as the title of the whole book suggests that she too identified with the german shepherd. Of course, the first question out of the mouths of those who interviewed Menéndez on her book was: "What do you mean by 'I Was a German Shepherd?'" Thus did she herself become associated with german shepherds. She cultivated the connection and got. But she doesn't deserve it. German shepherds are much higher on the scale of humanity than she is.

P.S.: Henry, you are too fair. Cut that out. The title is the woman.

Tomás Estrada Palma:

So Canadians think that Cubans are "lazy cowards?" Well, we know how heroically Canadians fought in their War of Independence. Oh, I forgot, excuse me. The Canadians never fought for their freedom. The biggest land mass on earth and they never shed even one drop of blood for it. Lucky bastards.

The decided to sit and wait and outlasted the British Empire.

Val: Are you volunteering for doggie style?
"You can get it doggy-style or you can get it laying on your side. Those are your only choices. . .You never look at the face."
Robert de Niro in "This Boy's Life."

Henry:

Which brings me to the old story: An adherent of autonomy for Cuba was trying to convince Martí, of all people, that Spain could be trusted to grant Cubans home rule (control of their own domestic affairs in a commonwealth relationship with Spain). The man assured Martí that "Cuba would be just like Canada." To which Martí replied: "For Cuba to be like Canada, Spain would have to be like Great Britain." End of argument.

On rare occasions when the Herald makes it to my house, I make the best use of it...POOPER SCOOPER!

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