3 Million Chisels (UPDATED)

During the next few hours Babalu blog will record its 3 millionth visit on our site meter. Our site metrics have never been a mystery. There's a button in the side bar that you can click to know exactly how much traffic we have and where it is coming from.

To mark the occasion we've asked our contributors to write a note of thanks to you, our readers. Some of you come infrequently, some visit several times a day and others are addicted. Regardless we're very thankful that you decide to share a bit of your time with us...

I’m sitting here trying to put my thoughts into words as Babalu approaches the 3 million unique visitor mark and it’s no easy task, let me tell you. The past five years – sheesh, I can’t even believe it’s been five years already – have been pretty incredible. We have, together, run the gamut of emotions. We’ve had tears of joy and tears of pain. We’ve had tears come just because they came. I can’t count the number of times I’ve sat here in front of my computer shedding tears simply because I happen to have been born Cuban.

Yes, folks. The tears have been many. And I know it may sound corny, but I truly believe – I truly hope – that each tear we have shed hasn’t been in vain. I hope that we have managed to somehow make a difference. I believe we’ve brought a few truths to light. I believe we’ve opened some eyes to the reality of Cuba.

I know sometimes it seems like our efforts fall short, but some walls can’t be taken down by bulldozers. Some walls need to come down brick by brick. And every day that there exists a place like Babalu and all the other great Cubiche blogs out there, we are chiseling and pulling bricks from the walls that keep Cuba in bondage. I truly, truly believe that.

There are people toiling out there, though, doing their darndest to lay those bricks we’ve managed to take down back on that wall. Yet I feel and overwhelming pride in the fact that there are a whole heckofa lot of people right now alongside us pulling bricks. All you need to do is look at that blogroll on the sidebar, which has grown almost exponentially over the years, and then look that the blogrolls of each to know that we aren’t just out here por amor al arte.

I don’t know if any or all of our efforts will actually have any impact in bringing change to Cuba, but I, like all of you I’m sure, am willing to stick around and fight the fight. I’m willing to hang out here in the trenches with you all for as long as it takes.

And I know I won’t be alone in these trenches because you are all here and no one, no one, made you jump into this fray. No one ordered you into battle. You came of your own volition. You fight because of your convictions and arm yourselves with what you deem is right and just and true.

Three million unique visitors may not seem like such an incredible milestone in blog terms – there are, after all, blogs out there that get millions of hits per day - but Cuba is a subject not many people want to talk about. Cuba isn’t something that’s on everybody’s mind all the time. It is, like we are on the net, just a small island. But, and I don’t want to sound arrogant and I certainly don’t want anyone criticizing the following as hubris, but I truly believe that we – not just Babalu but the entire spectrum of Cuban bloggers – are the voice of that muted island. Cuba speaks to the world through us, through Generacion y, Penultimos Dias, and The Real Cuba, Babalu and so many others.

So, before I get any more melodramatic and wishy washy, I want to say thanks. It’s been an incredible ride so far.

A huge shout out to the Babalu crew: What incredibly beautiful people you are and what an amazing, intelligent, talented and dedicated bunch you are. It is my utmost honor and privilege to count you all as family.

And to those of you that come by from time to time, that swing by here every once in a while and read, comment, chat, argue, discuss, debate, question, and toss in your two cents worth: I am forever grateful. Without you, there would be no Babalu. It’s your visits that make this humble blog not just one of the best, but a warm, loving home.

"It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds." -Samuel Adams

- Val Prieto, Founding editor

* * *

This “humble little blog”, as Val likes to call it, is about to reach a grand milestone: 3 million hits. That’s quite a feat for a little blog. This little island on the ‘net wouldn’t have reached that point without you, the reader. In all, there are 16 contributors to this blog. Some write more, some write less, all of us writing with the same love and conviction, but those words would just be echoes if you were not on the other end reading them. So I’d like to thank you from the bottom of my heart for coming by. Whether you pop in once a week, once a day, or every chance you get, just know that the site-meter keeps on going, upwards and onwards, and it is all made worthwhile, because of you.

- Amanda

* * *

Anyone who writes, no matter how infrequently, craves attention -- and maybe a little immortality. After all, words are still being read today that were written by a blind poet three thousand years ago. All of us write for ourselves, of course. Most of us have more stuff unpublished than published. We are a virulently self-critical lot, writers. But in reality, we write for you. Without the reader the writer's craft is just an echo chamber of the writer's mind.

On the occasion of our 3,000,000th visit, we take stock and realize that without you, constant reader, the fan, this would not be possible. You are the reason we write. All of you take what we give you and pass it along, digest it, analyze it, agree or disagree with it, yell at it, nod your head with it, shake a fist at it. It's all good. Without you, our existence would be meaningless.

Thank you for taking the dream of one person and turning it into a daily adventure where our ultimate goal is truth and justice for an oppressed people ninety miles away, and for all oppressed people around the world. Without you this would be nothing but gaslight.

Thank you, reader, for making this blog what it is.

- George L. Moneo

* * *

There’s a word in Spanish that we exiles use to describe our situation, “destierro.” Literally, it means to have been stripped of your earth, “tierra” - No home, no country.

As a young “desterrado,” I drifted further and further away from my earth, purposely avoiding the currents that lead back to it. I decided to pretend my home had sunk like the mythical Atlantis. Yet, I still drifted.

While drifting, one day, I came upon on Island from where you could see that earth that had been stripped from me. The people on that island all worked to help others understand the plight of desterrados and fought for those, who although had not been stripped of their earth, had been stripped of their humanity.

Eventually, I came to belong in that island oasis on the net without a bearded dictator. It’s an honor to be associated with people who selflessly give of themselves to ensure that other drifters and desterrados have a place to stop and admire our “tierra,” if only from afar.

Incredibly, the island has been visited three million times. I hope that at the very least, each visit caused someone to reflect on Cuba. I know I always look forward to pulling up to the Babalú island as I hope you do too. God Bless.

- Reinier Potts

* * *

I Got Hooked. I started reading Babalú a few years ago as a result of a Google search for “Cuba news.” From day one, I was hooked. The writing was always wonderful, sometimes provocative, but for the most part compelling. But the comments! There were people out there reading and caring and giving their opinions on what had been written. I loved the forum and the format. And like I said, I was hooked.

I confess that I lurked for over a year. I would come to Babalú first thing in the morning with my cafécito to get the news and to be entertained. I gave up my beloved newspaper for this better, more expansive, and much more interesting media. I was never disappointed.

While I loved reading the news aspect of it, I was always drawn in by the personal stories. The human drama, if you will. It was at this point that I started writing my own blog, My Big, Fat, Cuban Family. It was a perfect ying to the Babalú yang. I began writing about Cuban-American life and about how we Cubans try (and succeed) to maintain our cultural identity. I posted recipes and talked about my family and our idiomatic ways. When Val asked me to become a contributor to Babalú, I was so honored! But I also felt like this was the obvious next step for me. I love Cubans. I love being Cuban. I love our idiosyncratic Cubanisms. And I especially love Cuban families.

I confess that posting recipes every two weeks is a bit of a challenge for me, self-imposed of course, but still there. Because I decided my posts would be personal and that I would actually cook and take pictures and do step-by-step instructions instead of just posting recipes. The cooking feature was a hit in my home, which I expected, but the real surprise came when I started getting, not just comments, but mail.

Yes, I got mail. Lots of mail. Some had questions about how to make a certain recipe. Some had comments. But all had stories. THAT is when I was seriously hooked. I get to hear people’s stories. Stories that usually revolve around the heart of the Cuban home – the kitchen.

I get to hear about how Tia Conchita made the perfect croquetas and would I know how make those? I get to hear about how their moms would improvise in the kitchen after their exilio. I get to hear about how much they miss their abuelita. And I laugh and I cry and I marvel at what an amazing Cuban community has been brought together online. And I am oh-so-grateful to be able, not just to cook and post recipes, but to share life. To share Cuban-American life.

So thank you, not just to Babalú for being The-Best-Must-Read-Cuban-Blog-On-The-Web, but to you faithful readers who have given this “island on the web” such a beautiful Cuban-American face.

Oh yes, and thanks for trusting me with your lives. =D

Besos,

- Marta “La Cocinera” Darby

* * *

My fellow infidels. I’m taking a break from trial preparation to congratulate Babalu for 3 million visitors and especially want to thank Henry and Val for bringing me on board. I really enjoy being able to post my treatises and political and economic rants plus an occasional photo from the SW or the Obama Girl.

I also want to thank those that have taken the time to read my esoteric posts and who have engaged in civilized and educational dialogue. I’d like to say that I’ve tried to stick to serious issues rather than the typical lefty arguments like: “My candidate is better looking than yours and can shoot a 3 point shot.”

Can you believe that 3 million number? That’s more than the population of Miami Dade County.

So as we reach the milestone here I am toasting all of you with a shot of Café Cubano! Cheers!

- “Cigar Mike” Pancier

* * *

Congratulations to my fellow contributors, and to our readers. Your readership, your loyalty and your own contributions, not a mere number, are the truest measure of our success.

I devote a lot of what I write here and at my own blog to the plight of Cuban political prisoners and other dissidents on the island. The best thing readers could do on their behalf is to learn their stories, and to share them with your families, friends, co-workers, etc. Do not let them be forgotten. Be their voice, and be the voice for the hopes and dreams of a free Cuba.

- Marc Masferrer

* * *

I don’t usually write about myself, I prefer to stay on topic, Cuba. However, if you’ve met Marta, you know that she has a knack of making your tongue wag. You babble and tell her things you haven’t even thought about, let alone shared with anyone, for years—she’s a very talented woman. She asked me how I wound up getting involved with a bunch of Cubans, and then urged me to share. Okay Marta, here goes.

When I first found my way to Babalu a number of years ago, it was a much smaller island on the net than we are today. Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would become a blogger and contributing writer here at Babalu.

Right from the beginning, I felt at home here, serendipity you might say, because even though I’m not Cuban, I too have a Cuban story. In fact several Cuban stories, to me they are a large golden ribbon woven among the threads of my life.

I don’t want to bore you with long details, so here is one of them, the first.

I was once a very frightened small girl, for a good reason; my Mother left my Father and our home, and moved us from San Franciso to Los Angeles. There was no money, she was working long hours from early morning until late. A family who was a friend of someone Mom knew took us in. I remember feeling lost and panicked, everything was strange. From the very first day, the lady of the house made me one of her own; she went out of her way to comfort and to reassure; and thanks to her loving kindness, I was made to feel safe and secure in spite of the uncertainty of our situation. I remember her hugs, her smiles, her kindness, and one day over fifty years later, tasting what was to be my first Cuban meal, I remembered a smell, and then I remembered sitting at her kitchen table eating black beans and yellow rice.

Within a few months, things improved, and we moved on, and as children do, I didn’t think much about those difficult days, or my dark haired temporary mother, and Mom never understood why I love beans and rice, because she never served them. :)

Therefore, in honor of Babalu’s odometer turning over the 3 million mark, I like to thank each one of our readers for making this not just an island, but also a home on the net. We wouldn’t be here without you. One of these days, there will be a Babalu reunion 90 miles south, in a beautiful, prosperous and free Cuba.

- Ziva

* * *

How I met Babalu: I was watching Hardball, back before Chris Matthews took a left turn off the reservation and developed neurological symptoms at the timbre of Obama’s voice. In the middle of an interview, the topic of the Bay of Pigs came up. Matthews was dismissive, saying more or less, “Oh, yeah, and that’s when the rest of the country was going to rise up and revolt. We know they didn’t.” It was all I could do not to throw something at the TV. Oh, yeah, I thought to myself, the rest of the country, those who weren’t rounded up beforehand and had access to the information, could hear all about the brigade being torn to shreds after having been left in the lurch by your sainted JFK. I emailed him, of course, which probably increased the amount of scrap paper around the studio.

The frustration was palpable. No one was out there countering the misconceptions, the lies. The oppression and misery of the Cuban people had been forgotten or worse yet, consciously hidden. As the history receded, so did the truth. There seemed to be no way to get the information out. Then my brother tipped me to Babalublog. Here were Cuban Americans on their own platform taking on the MSM in fluent English, as well as having a bit of fun with our shared culture. Here was an English language format that made it that much harder to dismiss.

On a more personal level, I wasn’t alone in my anger, frustration, and even cultural identity because Babalu gave it voice, as it gives voice to that of many others. So as Babalu passes the 3 million mark, it is more than anything else an ever expanding group of people- posters and commenters alike- who rail, and laugh, and argue. After all, we are family. Most importantly, however, we are united in one goal: Cambio!

- Ruth

* * *

I became the “token” Italian-American contributing writer at Babalu in February when Val said he wanted me to have a set of keys to the blog. It came as a surprise to me that he would consider my non-Cuban voice important enough to speak on Babalú but I was honored to accept the invitation.

I don’t have any inspirational, personal anecdotes about life in Cuba and thankfully, no painful stories about my family having to leave their life behind. I just have what I call "second-hand" pain that I feel when I hear and read these stories from Cubans, and it always ends up making me angry enough to write something.

In the year and a half I have been blogging about Cuba, and the six months I have been with Babalu, it never ceases to bring a tear to my eye when a Cuban I don’t know emails me or adds a comment thanking me for taking up the Cuban cause. I’m sentimental and I have printed every one of the beautiful emails I have received and I read them when I don’t feel like blogging or talking up the cause anymore, which happens from time to time. I get inspired all over again because these are the people who give me courage to stand up for a free Cuba when other non-Cubans don’t care about it. These are the people who are so grateful that someone who is not one of their own has seen the light that they take the time to email a perfect stranger. These are the readers who have made Babalu the most widely-read blog about Cuba on the internet, and who have, in turn, included me into their gigantic Cuban family and made me feel welcome. I am proud to know Val, a man who stands up for what he believes in and does not waiver in his convictions, the other writers here, and to be a part of Babalú as it reaches the three million-visitor mark.

- Claudia Fanelli

* * *

Just like my Babalu colleagues I am very appreciative of you, the readers of this blog. I wanted to specifically recognize those readers who not only visit us regularly and comment but also those who have gone from a passive posture to an active one and supported our BUCL.org campaigns in the past. We put together BUCL as a way to involve different bloggers and take our activism from the online to the real world. We successfully carried messages about the real Cuba into the mainstream media. First we called attention to the complicity of Spanish businesses with the castro regime. Then we pointed out the hypocrisy of an alleged human rights champion (Sting, the lead singer of The Police) who vacations in Cuba and was planning a state-sponsored concert there. The concert never happened. In out third campaign we gave monetary and promotional support to the dissidence in Cuba. And none of it could have happened if readers had not stepped in and sponsored the campaigns in addition to our fellow bloggers.

Whenever we’ve had a petition or asked for your help in getting some item of Che Guevara paraphernalia off of local store shelves you’ve been there.

For all of that and more, I offer my heartiest and most sincere thanks.

- Henry Gomez, Managing Editor

* * *

I recall that from the first time I ever visited Babalublog, I felt I was at home. Without ever meeting Val in person, just reading his posts made me feel like I had finally reunited with my family. Not my personal family, mind you, but my Cuban family. That is what Babalu became for me—a meeting place where I could gather with my millions of Cuban brothers and sisters on the island as well as all over the world.

Last year, Val offered me the opportunity to become a contributing writer at Babalu. I considered it an honor and quickly accepted. But I have never forgotten the feeling I got the first time I visited. Nor have I forgotten that what makes Babalu the best damn Cuban-American blog in the world is not Val, myself, nor the other writers—it is its readers. Babalu is more than a blog, it is a community, a family made up of thousands upon thousands of Cubans who share the same love for Cuba and the desire to see it free of tyranny once again.

So on this momentous occasion, as we celebrate 3-million visits to Babalublog, I say thank you to all of the readers of Babalublog. You are my Cuban family, and you are the reason Babalu has reached this milestone. Without you, Babalu would be just another blog. But because of you, Babalu is truly an island on the net without a bearded dictator.

- Alberto de la Cruz

* * *

50 years ago when the U.S. State Department wanted to educate their new Ambassador to Cuba, Earl Smith, they sent him a batch of articles from Herbert Matthews of the New York Times. Today U.S. diplomats in Latin America regularly read Babalu Blog.

Better late than never, U.S. State Dept. Middle America could sense that with Cuba, as with most subjects, the Mainstream Media was trying to force feed them from an overflowing crock of crap. What they heard and read from the media clashed so dramatically with what they heard or read form their American friends and relatives of Cuban heritage--that something HAD to be wrong. Somebody was lying.

Thanks to the thousands upon thousands of you who come here for the truth and for an antidote Mainstream Media Hogwash.

Rush Limbaugh rejects the title of pied-piper, saying he simply broadcasts what middle America feels in their hearts and knows from experience. Here at Babalu we differ only slightly from that sentiment. Given the abominable coverage of Cuban matters in the Media, yes, we do provide more info.--we HAVE too. Because no one else will. But I think Rush's sentiment also applies to Babalu blog.

- Humberto Fontova

* * *

I wouldn't care about Cuba half as much as I do today if it weren't for Babalu Blog, plain and simple. It was exactly two years ago today that I discovered Babalu as I searched for the latest news on Fidel Castro's "temporary" transfer of power, and I ended up finding a whole lot more than I could ever imagine. That one Google search changed a big part of my life. All the pesonal stories, the constant promotion of freedom on the Island and the tireless and relentless efforts to convey news accurately continue to help me discover, appreciate and promote our culture.

About 8 months ago I decided to give blogging a shot and found that I really enjoyed it. Each post posed (and continues to pose) a new challenge for me as I develop my opinions and knowledge base. Thanks to Val and Henry, I was given the opportunity to start writing on Babalu and gained exposure to this vast and knowledgeable reader base. Thanks to you, the readers, and your insightful comments, I learn more with each post. You are quick to correct me if I'm wrong or enlighten me to additional facts and frankly, I love it and look forward to it with every post.

Keep reading and commenting and invite your friends to do the same, so we can all grow together and help further the cause of Cuban liberty. Thank you and God bless!

- Monica Simo

* * *

Journalists are often accused of having no feelings, of being completely devoid of the ability to truly sympathize with their subjects beyond that which flows from their pens. To a certain extent, this is somewhat true. When you're out in the field, there is no time to mourn, no time to shed tears. Your goal is the gathering of information and its dissemination, which must be carried out in as expedient a manner as is humanly possible.

That said, there are often times – when the pens are put down and the cameras are at rest – when the emotion built up over the course of covering a story – breaks through that stoic wall and is released, often through tears. My first experience with this phenomenon came about four months after the September 11th terrorist attacks in New York. On that morning, I had received a call from an editor at the office regarding what little she knew. I attempted to pay a cab driver $150 to get me into lower Manhattan, to no avail. A small group of us thus set off from Penn Station on 33rd Stree, on foot. Bill Biggart, a New York City photojournalist, never made it back and when Building Seven came down shortly after 3 p.m., it occurred as a thunderclap at our heels. Four months later, the nightmares would truly begin. They're gone now, but at the time, I didn't feel as though it was appropriate to share any of the emotion that had been slowly building inside my chest.

Fast forward a few years to the Autumn of 2007. Upon my return from a stint in Havana and an extensive post on Babalu concerning feelings on the ground amid the rampant rumors in both Miami and Cuba regarding Fidel's demise, I was crushed. So many of us in Havana were absolutely certain that the beast had finally been caged – from journalists to bicitaxi-drivers, the island was abuzz with anticipation. Plans had been concocted to overstay our visas and be smuggled out at a later date but in the end, it was all for nothing. My emotions again began to well up inside without any possible outlet, until I penned a post titled "The Longest Gaze," a testament to all that our families had gone through in decades-past, written from the viewpoint of a younger generation.

The comments posted beneath that missive were supportive and kind, but what I found even more remarkable, were the emails that poured into my account over the course of the next 48 hours. It's been said before, earlier in this post, but it's worth saying again – there are times when professional and personal pressures mount to such an extent, when feelings of hopelessness regarding the Cuban nightmare seem to take over, when a blogger just feels like calling it a day. I believe I speak for all of us when I say "I've experienced this on numerous occasions." The reader is always there, ready to express his/her thanks and sometimes, stories of a similar nature, delivered in a bid to assuage the pain I – for – one, often feel every time I land stateside after covering the Pearl of the Antilles.

For that and so much more, I am eternally grateful.

Warmest Regards,

- Anatasio Blanco

* * *

I missed the initial post on the 3 million reader mark last Thursday due to lack of internet access, but I wanted to make sure my thoughts are included, even if it's a few days late.

My journey into Babalu Blog began in early 2005 when I discovered the blog via, believe it or not, the Miami Herald. The paper ran a story on the blog, and the timing couldn't have been better for me. I had spent much of the previous few years searching the internet for news and discussions about Cuba and Cuba-related issues, and most of what I found was pro-castro and anti-exile sentiments, and very little actual information about current issues, in other words the TRUTH. It was frustrating, to say the least. Therefore, discovering Babalu Blog was, as Alberto mentioned above, like discovering my Cuban family all over again. I felt a connection rarely experienced before. Pouring through the archives and reading every post all the way back to the first one in 2003, Val's posts (with occasional postings from Mora, Amanda and George) perfectly captured my experiences and feelings from growing up in a Cuban-American household in the 70s and 80s to the present time when my interest in discovering the truth about Cuba and spreading the word peaked. To put it simple terms, Babalu Blog was something I could relate to at a deep and personal level. I became an avid reader, just like many of you reading this right now.

Three and half years later, my feelings haven't changed. I have had the distinct pleasure of getting to know most of the contributors, and even several regular readers, on a personal basis. My relationships with each and every one of them have enriched my life in many ways.

I'm sure I speak for most if not all of the contributors when I say that I still consider myself primarily a reader of the blog, despite my contributor status. This is what makes Babalu Blog special. The reader feels him/herself as an active and integral part of the blog, not merely an addition or afterthought that the contributors have to put up with. In essence, ALL of us are readers AND contributors. This special feeling is what drew me in three and a half years ago, and what continues to draw me in today. It is with this spirit that I sincerely thank each and every one of you for making this blog what it has become for ALL of us: a place that we can call "home".

- Robert Molleda

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Posted by Henry Louis Gomez at July 31, 2008 05:18 PM

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