in case anyone is interested... This article in this week's New Yorker is a great general introduction to post-Soviet Cuba, and the timing is sort of remarkable (it went to press several days before the current crisis). The author (who lived in Cuba during the Special Period) touches on some really important issues--especially the stealthy but potentially very stubborn presence of young, ideologically militant Castro devotees whom many Cubans quitely call "los Taliban." People seem to forget that after the bloody political purge in the late 80s, the brothers installed a whole cadre of fiercely loyal now-40-somethings in very high level government positions. Perhaps most importantly, though, he also throws in a couple of my all-time favorite Castro jokes, including that great one about the Galápagos turtle. Bueno.  ¶ 6:45 PM