From our Bureau of Purges and Other Such Socialist Acts of State
Wow. They’re dropping dead like flies sprayed with insecticide.
No one seems to know what is really going on, but the top ranks of Cuba’s military are getting thinner and thinner by the day.
This particular monster was involved with the Castroite foray into Angola and Ethiopia on behalf of the Soviet Union.
One less, many more left to go…..
Loosely translated from 14yMedio
Reserve Colonel Santiago Lorenzo Hernández Cáceres died this Wednesday in Havana at the age of 82. With the death of Hernández Cáceres, there are seven high-ranking military personnel who have died in Cuba in less than a month without the cause of death being specified in any of the cases.
As published by Granma, Hernández was the founder of the Communist Party of Cuba (PCC). Of peasant origin, he was born in the municipality of San Juan y Martínez, in the province of Pinar del Río and “from a very young age he carried out agricultural work.”
In 1957 he was part of the July 26 Movement where “he carried out various missions of action and sabotage,” the official newspaper detailed.
Within the Revolutionary Armed Forces he dedicated himself to working with the Union of Young Communists and the PCC, in addition to directing the political sections of the Central and Western armies and of the military troops that Cuba sent to Angola and Ethiopia.
The death of Hernández Cáceres occurs after the death last July of five generals who were part of the Cuban military leadership: Agustín Peña, Marcelo Verdecia Perdomo, Rubén Martínez Puente, Manuel Eduardo Lastres Pacheco and Armando Choy Rodríguez, as well as Commander Gilberto Antonio Cardero Sanchez.
Martínez Puente died at the age of 79 and is credited with having transmitted Raúl Castro’s order to fire the missiles, from Mig fighter planes of the Cuban Air Force, which shot down the planes in which four members of the Hermanos al Rescue in 1996. The attack occurred over international waters, although the Cuban Government justified the demolition by claiming that the ships had entered the island’s airspace.
Shag Salon, like every other salon across the state, has had a rollercoaster of a year.
The salon was one of the businesses deemed “non-essential” during the initial Covid-19 shelter-in-place order, and shut down on March 17. It was allowed to reopen in July, but only for a brief moment, forced to close until the industry got the eventual OK to operate in September. But the latest shelter-in-place order in December shut down salons again.
Now, with the state’s decision to lift the order on Jan. 25, Shag Salon, at 64 Fifth St. in downtown Gilroy, reopened once again on Feb. 2. The business, owned by Rhonda Rodgers and managed by her daughters Lea Orlando and Heather Pacheco, knows what to expect in its fourth go-round.
“My cell phone has been ringing off the hook, the salon phone has been ringing off the hook,” Pacheco said. “It’s been a little bit crazy. We’re trying to take it in stride, and people have been really understanding.
“We’re just going back with a positive attitude. We’re not dwelling on things.”
During the shutdowns, Shag Salon had to learn to pivot its business model to stay afloat, Pacheco said. It began offering curbside pickup of its Aveda hair and skin products, as well as free delivery within the Gilroy and Morgan Hill area. The salon also began creating how-to videos and holding drawings on social media to connect with clients.
Pacheco said that if not for the pandemic, the salon likely never would have offered such services.
“I’m so thankful and grateful we have a salon that survived this,” she said. “I’m thankful I work with intelligent people that helped pivot our business to the point where we not only survive, but we thrive through this.”
With the reopening comes a number of safety protocols. Clients, who are now greeted with a hello instead of a hug, Pacheco noted, must have their temperature checked and sign a wellness form before entering the building. All staff wear masks and a face shield, and must spend 15 minutes sanitizing their stations between each client.
As a result, to reduce the number of people within the building at any given time, the stylists currently do not work full-time. Pre-pandemic, stylists would see roughly 12 clients a day, but now, that number has dropped to four, which is difficult for a commission-based position, Pacheco said.
In recent months, the salon lost a stylist, who moved to Texas as she was unable to afford rent in California, as well as two receptionists. Two receptionists have since been hired to fill the gap.
“I’m really proud of our staff,” Pacheco said. “They have been super helpful, and whatever they need to do they’ve jumped in. We’ve gotten really lucky with a wonderful staff.”
Personal care industry laments state’s rhetoric
Santa Clara County health officials confirmed Jan. 28 that they have no knowledge of any coronavirus outbreaks traced back to salons.
In a lawsuit filed recently against Gov. Gavin Newsom and other state officials, the Professional Beauty Federation of California (PBFC) argues California singled out the industry because of its lack of lobbying power.
“The personal services sectors are the quintessential small business sectors,” PBFC attorney Fred Jones said in a recent phone call, “and yet, because we don’t have the same clout as Hollywood or big business, we have become the sacrificial lambs to the Covid gods.”
It’s a sacrifice borne disproportionately by minorities, he points out.
The state’s focus on salons and cosmetic services has hammered an industry composed overwhelmingly of women, immigrants and members of LGBTQ community. Of PBFC’s 621,000 dues-paying licensees, Jones said, more than 80 percent are female and 75 percent are first-generation immigrants.
“This is the profession that this governor has sacrificed,” he said. “That’s not very politically correct, is it?”
In Jones’ telling, the industry’s financial woes began when Newsom blamed a Northern California nail salon for the first known case of community spread of the novel coronavirus. PBFC, reporters and other industry groups demanded data to support the assertion. State officials never provided that.
“What he didn’t realize was that he was throwing all this shade at our industry in the minds of Californians,” Jones said. “As a result, we’ve had a cumulative seven months of lockdowns. This is our third reopening after our third closure since March, and every time we reopen, there are less clients coming back because they’re picking up the message that this industry is unsafe.”
WE ARE OPEN Shag Salon has reopened for the fourth time in the past year. Photo: Erik Chalhoub
While state officials and their local counterparts repeated the narrative of the dangers inherent to salons, research by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) suggested otherwise. The study published last summer found face masks may have prevented a pair of Covid-positive Missouri hairstylists from spreading the virus to as many as 140 clients.
Missouri’s Springfield-Greene County Health Department, which led the investigation, determined that policies requiring people to cover mouths and noses and the salon’s strict sanitation policies played a substantial role in curbing what could have been a huge outbreak.
Jen Erickson, founder and CEO of Silicon Valley Apprenticeship Barbering/Cosmetology and a 25-year industry veteran, said clients should rest assured that salons are safe to patronize. Passing the California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology test requires 1,600 class-hours—about 1,000 more than needed to become a police officer—and fluency in sterilization and cross-contamination.
“With the pandemic,” she said, “a lot of us even went above and beyond, retrofitting salons to make things safe, spending money even though we weren’t making any.”
If public health officials produced data that showed salons as high-risk for coronavirus outbreaks, that would be one thing, Jones said. But he has yet to see any from the state or local governments. What few numbers are available seem to back his suspicions about the shutdowns being less science-and-data-based than Newsom lets on.
Statistics released in December by the New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office show that 74 percent of Covid cases for which there’s contact-tracing data available were attributed to household gatherings. Bars and restaurants accounted for just 1.43 percent of the spread. Salons and personal care services, just 0.14 percent.
Jones wants to see similar California data.
Pacheco said she welcomes the reopening news, but wishes the salon industry got a heads up earlier to prevent what she called a chaotic scramble.
The steps the salon industry has taken to further bolster its safety protocols should boost clients’ confidence that they are in a safe environment, Pacheco said. Still, she expects business to remain tight as it weathers the coming months.
“We’re excited to see our guests, but we would love to be at full capacity,” she said.
Shag Salon is currently rebooking guests who had previous appointments, and expects to take in new bookings later in the month. For information, visit or .
OFFSET will be taking part in ESEA Advanced Season 36, which will be kicking off on January 18. They will be looking to improve on last season’s performance, having finished outside of the playoff picture with a 9-7 record.
ALL PARTICIPANTS OF EUROVISON 2020:
Albania: Arilena Ara – Fall From the Sky
Armenia: Athena Manoukian – Chains on You
Australia: Montaigne – Don’t Break Me
Austria: Vincent Bueno – Alive
Azerbaijan: Samira Efendi – Cleopatra
Belarus: VAL – Da Vidna
Belgium: Hooverphonic – Release Me
Bulgaria: Victoria – Tears Getting Sober
Croatia: Damir Kedžo – Divlji Vjetre
Cyprus: Sandro – Running
Czech Republic: Benny Cristo – Kemama
Denmark: Ben & Tan – Yes
Estonia: Uku Suviste – What Love Is
Finland: Aksel Kankaanranta – Looking Back
France: Tom Leeb – The Best in Me
Georgia: Tornike Kipiani – Take Me as I Am
Germany: Ben Dolic – Violent Thing
Greece: Stefania – Superg!rl
Iceland: Daði og Gagnamagnið – Think About Things
Ireland: Lesley Roy – Story of My Life
Israel: Eden Alene – Feker Libi
Italy: Diodato – Fai Rumore
Latvia: Samanta Tīna – Still Breathing
Lithuania: The Roop – On Fire
Malta: Destiny Chukunyere
Moldova: Natalia Gordienko – Prison
Netherlands: Jeangu Macrooy – Grow
North Macedonia: Vasil – You
Norway: Ulrikke Brandstorp – Attention
Poland: Alicja Szemplińska – Empires
Portugal: Elisa – Medo De Sentir
Romania: Roxen – Alcohol You
Russia: Little Big – Uno
San Marino: Senhit – Freaky!
Serbia: Hurricane – Hasta La Vista
Slovenia: Ana Soklič – Voda
Spain: Blas Cantó – Universo
Sweden: The Mamas – Move
Switzerland: Gjon’s Tears – Répondez-Moi
Ukraine: Go_A – Solovey
United Kingdom: James Newman – My Last Breath
ALL THE WINNERS OF ESC:
2000 – Denmark: The Olsen Brothers – Fly on the wings of love
2001 – Estonia: Tanel Padar & Dave Benton – Everybody
2002 – Latvia: Marie N – I wanna
2003 – Turkey: Sertab Erener – Everyway that I can
2004 – Ukraine: Ruslana – Wild Dances
2005 – Greece: Helena Paparizou – My Number One
2006 – Finland: Lordi – Hard Rock Hallelujah
2007 – Serbia: Marija Šerifović – Molitva
2008 – Russia: Dima Bilan – Believe
2009 – Norway: Alexander Rybak – Fairytale
2010 – Germany: Lena – Satellite
2011 – Azerbaijan: Ell & Nikki – Running Scared
2012 – Sweden: Loreen – Euphoria
2013 – Denmark: Emmelie De Forest – Only Teardrops
2014 – Austria: Conchita Wurst – Rise Like a Phoenix
2015 – Sweden: Måns Zelmerlöw – Heroes
2016 – Ukraine: Jamala – 1944
2017 – Portugal: Salvador Sobral – Amar Pelos Dois
2018 – Israel: Netta – Toy
2019 – The Netherlands: Duncan Laurence – Arcade
Tags: Eurovision Song contest, 2017, 2018, 2019 Supernova, A Dal, Vidbir, Eesti Laul, Eurovision Asia, Celebrate Diversity, Eurovision In Concert, EIC, Amsterdam, Israel Calling, London Eurovision party, Junior eurovision song contest, JESC, top 50, top 100, winner, esc, jesc, top 42, final, semi final, red carpet, favorite, best songs, eurovision history ever 1956, 90’s, Sweden, heroes, måns zelmerlöw, melodifestivalen, NRK, stockholm, national final, Europe, recap, all entries, ranking, karaoke, instrumental, plagiarism, cover, live, dress rehearshal, jury, 2nd semi final, 1st semi final, results, after show, uefa euro, beautiful, sexy, hot, handsome, England, Wales, Scotland, Britain, british, mad, VMA, X factor, Rising Star, Sergey Lazarev, Demy, Poli Genova, Helena Paparizou, UK, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, FYROM, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Macedonia, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Pays Bas , Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Serbia & Montenegro, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, Yugoslavia
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On Sunday, September 18, 2022, the California Highway Patrol reported a fatal car crash near Pacheco State Park. Officials described the incident as a hit-and-run accident involving two vehicles on State Route 152.
Details on the Fatal Car Crash Near Pacheco State Park
A preliminary report revealed that a Kia Optima and a 2007 Lexus were both traveling eastbound on SR-152 shortly after 1:50 a.m. For unknown reasons, the Lexus allegedly rear-ended the Kia. This caused the Kia to veer out of control and travel approximately 200 ft. down an embankment. The Kia came to a rest on its wheels after overturning, CHP traffic officers reported.
The Kia driver, a 49-year-old Castaic man, sustained serious injuries. He was able to contact emergency personnel, but it took crews approximately an hour to reach their vehicle, officials reported. Sadly, a passenger in the Kia, a 42-year-old Castaic woman, was declared deceased at the crash site. Her identity has been withheld due to pending family notification.
After the two-vehicle crash, the Lexus driver reportedly continued until the vehicle became disabled on Highway 152 close to Dinosaur Point Road. Authorities found the Lexus abandoned. Anyone with information on the hit-and-run accident is encouraged to contact the CHP Hollister-Gilroy area office and speak with Officer M. Sakamoto or Officer T. Mahanay.
Who Can File a Wrongful Death Case in California?
Specific relatives have priority after a wrongful death of a loved one. Per California Code of Civil Procedure Section 377.60, the spouse, domestic partner, or children of the decedent has the foremost priority. If such relationships were non-existent, other relatives may seek financial recovery for their loss.
Potential claimants, listed by their relationship to the decedent, may include the parents, stepchildren, putative spouse, and other family members dependent on the deceased for financial support. To determine your eligibility for a claim, reach out to an experienced Los Banos wrongful death attorney today.
Importance of Hiring an Attorney for a Wrongful Death Claim
As a surviving family member, it is in your best interest to discuss your case with an experienced wrongful death lawyer. Fatal accident cases may be particularly challenging to navigate, especially when it resulted from a hit-and-run driver. These claims may be stressful, particularly for surviving family members who are:
A wrongful death case demands justice on behalf of surviving family members in addition to financial recovery. Families only have one chance to hold the other side accountable for their loss. Therefore, the accident attorney you select to represent your family matters. Learn how our legal team at AutoAccident.com can help by calling for a free consultation or watch the video below.
Personal Injury Attorney in Los Banos
I’m Ed Smith, a Los Banos personal injury attorney. Each family has a different story that needs to be conveyed in each wrongful death claim. That is why our law firm takes the time to get to know the families we represent so we can build a strong and compelling case on their behalf. Protecting a family’s rights and a lost loved one’s legacy is what we do best at AutoAccident.com. Learn more about how we can help by calling (209) 227-1931 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly advice.
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California wrongful death law may be challenging to navigate. Fortunately, our legal team has decades of combined experience handling these matters on behalf of survivors. Our accident attorneys have stopped at nothing to help families obtain justice and financial compensation. Learn more by visiting our Settlements and Verdicts page to view our past case resolutions.