Your comments-

R.Vlahos writes...
"the Your Thoughts page looks more like vomit than marble to me, but then again I was hungover when I viewed it."

Guy van Egmond writes...
" Caramba, estabas hablando en serio de tu Web Page-deberias investigar el nuevo libro acerca del vida del Gomez. Creo es escrito por Tomás Polanco Alcántara"{ A new book on Gomez in Spanish is available by the author mentioned-Tomás Polanco Alcántara.}

Bernardo Rodriguez Salcedo writes...

Subject: Please help!
To: jtisdall@CapAccess.org
Hello,
I'm from Venezuela and I'm trying to develop a personal homepage. Problem is, that I don't have any photos of Puerto Ordaz (Ciudad Guayana), and I'd like to have one in my homepage. I've searched with all the search engines (Webcrawler, Lycos, et al.) and I can't find any Puerto Ordaz CITY photos. I'd really appreciate if you could mail me the exact location of said photo, or if you could put it into your page. Please write to bars@cyberspace.org and not to this address. Thanks.

Bernardo Rodriguez Salcedo
bars@cyberspace.org
Caracas, Venezuela
(note: If anyone can help Bernardo, please do so as my scanner broke just after I started digitizing my Venezuela Photos and as a result only the first 15 are up so far.)

Cristobal T. Alvarado Minic writes:
Hola, John, Tu pagina WWW sobre Venezuela me produjo un gran interes; estaba muy bien
hecha y las fotos muy bien tomadas. Solamente, el titulo de la pagina era
"Imagines", cuando en realidad debia decir "Imagenes" ("Images", en ingles).
Solo hay que cambiar una "i" por una "e".
Your WWW page on Venezuela was very interesting for me; it was very well
done and the photographs were taken very well. But the page's title was
"Imagines", whereas, in fact, it should be "Imagenes" (with an accent on the
"a"). You only have to replace an "i" by an "e".
Realmente te felicito por el interes que prestas al castellano
(espan~ol). Espero que puedas regresar a Venezuela pronto y continuar tus
viajes alli.
Sincerely,
Cristobal Alvarado
-------------------------------------
Cristobal T. Alvarado Minic
Metz - France
Email: ctam@worldnet.net
-------------------------------------

name: Corey Ramsden
email addr: corey@intraactive.com
email subject: Viajes en Venezuela
comments: 
Yo tambien le felicito en su pagina.  Muy bien hecho.  Pase casi un año
en Venezuela enseñando ingles y me encanta Venezuela y su gente.  Ojala
que usted no tuviera tantos problemas viajando por el interior como yo.
Pero este es otra historia.  Y ademas mis problemas viajando no cambio 
mi opinion de Venezuela.  Gracias por proveer tantas fotos buenas de 
Venezuela.  Thanks.

name: Andre R. Hote
email address: anda@mhv.net
email subject: music from Venezuela
Comments:
        Hi,
        I went to your site and appreciated the presentation, but
apparently Netscape Navigator did not find a DNS entry to leave the
message in your comments box. This is what I left:

        Your pages looks great to me, although I have not explored all
 the pages. I must confess that from Venezuela, what I retain most is
 music, especially llanera. I love Juan Vicente Torrealba, Simon Diaz,
 and other folk groups. My selfish question is: where can I find more
 CDs from Venezuela than the rare ones found in the U.S? Would you have
 any idea how to contact record shops in Venezuela that I could order 
 from?
        Any tip is welcome and I am willing to share anything within
my area of knowledge, PHOTO, Macintosh and possibly other areas.
        Thanks if you have any interesting links on Venezuelan music.
Andre
 Andre - no problems with form submission from others using Netscape.It is
 a mailto command when the submit button is pressed, therefore no need for
 DNS entry.

From: eelmend@siue.edu (Esther and Bill Elmendorf)
Subject: Form posted from Mozilla
To: jtisdall@capaccess.org


name=Bill
email_addr=eelmend@siue.edu.com
subject=My WWII airplane in Ciudad
Bolivar&
comments=Some years ago I traced my WWII airplane 2C a C-47 2C constr
uctor number 19000 to Ciudad Bolivar in the service of RUTACA AERAS %21 I am wondering if that airplane remains there today. The tail number is YV-227 C%21
I hope you can assist me as I want to go there and see the airplane %21 Thank you and gracias.+Bill Elmendorf Lebanon +IL+62254-1223
Adios

05/11/98
name=Ofelia Suarez Mendez de Chambers
email_addr=4thmedia@chch.planet.org.nz
email_subject=mis raices sefarditas-my sephardic roots
comments=How sad I feel when I see myself so far from my family in
Venezuela and trying to find from New Zealand my Spehardic origins.
Here in this country Genealogy is very popular. Maybe I had to come to this
isolated corner of the world to realise how important is to know well
who our ancestors are.

Struggling I have found that for my surprise-most of my surnames are sephardic.
But I am puzzled about how and when these families went from Netherlands to
Curazao to Venezuela as early as 1600-1700 and then settled in the Andes my
grand-grand parents. My task is to collect as many sources of information as
possible so that I could trace the family origins back to Spain or Portugal
before1492. Suarez-Aria Borjas-Valbuena Mendez-Pulido. Colmenares-Mora I have
married and had children with Sanchez-Orue and Ferraro-Senior. A million thanks
for giving space to my quest and feelings.
Dear Ofelia Suarez Mendez de Chambers,
I wish you luck in your search and hope that and readers will forward any leads or information to your e-mail address above.I apologize for any possible error made in your post-the server sends me a file with lots of added characters that I must edit out.Good Luck, J.E. Tisdall (Irish surname by the way).

name=Dana Sloan
&email_addr=sloan1@marshall.edu&email_
subject=Funny facts about Latin America
comments=I am a college student at Marshall
University. We have to give a presentation in my Spanish class and I
am looking for some funny facts about Latin America. If you have any
or can help me find some information on the web I would really
appreciate it. Thank You
Dana Sloan %0D%0A+%0D%0A+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
&form_name=feedback&e-mail=address
I was depressed when this request came in thinking of the fun facts like Venezuela is largely dependent on oil prices to balance it's budget, service it's debt, and take care of its people(not neccesarily in that order!), and the price of oil has fallen. So the fun fact is - when oil prices get to 40 dollars a barrel, many Latin Americans(Venezuelans) can be seen returning from Miami with smiles and bottles of scotch- "in the 'old Venezuela ' anyway where a Miami shopkeeper dreamt about herds of tourister Venezuelans showing up at his store. No more. Give it time.

Recently I received this letter from an aspiring filmmaker with what seems to be an interesting and worthwhile project in need of some help to reach fruition. The letter from Elaine Mendoza follows-please give her any help or contacts you can as she is a professional with a good idea:

Good morning...

My name is Elaine Mendoza...a Venezuelan filmmaker/performer currently
making necessary arrangements to get my first screenplay done in
Venezuela in 1999...

I am raised in Washington D.C. where I have my B.A. in Film and
Video(May 1996) from American University.. I just graduated from The
American Musical and Dramatic Academy(AMDA) in February of 1998. I am
the first Venezuelan to ever complete the program at AMDA. I got my two
year certificate in the performing arts(Dramatic theatre and musical
theatre).

I just went over you resume...which is quite impressive...and I was
wondering any suggestions on the Venezuelan film industry...I currently
have two producers working for me in Venezuela...but am still in the
process of getting more funding for this project...It is such a
beautiful country with so much to offer...however I feel the film
industry hasn't been fully exploited by new Venezuelan filmmakers. I
hope to change this...

My screenplay will open doors for other countries to want to film in
Venezuela as well as hopefully inspire a new generation of artists. I've
worked very hard on my screenplay which is based on a true story.

If interested in this project...please contact me...I live in New York
City. Get my phone number by writing me at:
My e-mail: finallyelaine@hotmail.com

Thank you very much for any help you can offer...I'm quite optimistic
about this project and want to do it well...It's a great opportunity for
everyone involved...

Thank you.

Elaine Mendoza

On Saturday, November 07, 1998 3:00 PM, RDSERIOUS@aol.com [SMTP:RDSERIOUS@aol.com] wrote: I'm looking for a screensaver with Venezuelen images. Is there such a thing. Would settle for nice pictures to use > as wallpaper. Pls advise....... 

RDSERIOUS-Don't know if any Ven newspapers offer screensavers but am pretty sure you could plug your favorites from the many sites in Geocities and elsewhere that offer Ven images into shareware or free screensavers available at places like shareware.com, www.tucows.com ,etc. Many products offer continuous slideshows of stored images. Jasc Software had one a few years ago which is probably around in a newer version. Many image editing programs offer such functions. Good luck! j.e.t.

Hi,

I tried to stay at your site..but the commercial started coming on..over and
over.
Anyway...I think it is interesting ..the location.  I have always wanted to
visit South
America..and Caracas is one place I would like to see.  When I was in
college..I took
a trip to Key West with a fellow from Caracas..one of those Spring Break
trips. It
 was an interesting experience.

Regards,

Handlebar Henry-World's Most Magnificent Moustache
       www.handlebar.net  www.handlebar.org
handlebar@handlebar.net   handlebar@handlebar.org
   *******
  *  ****  *
 *  *          * 1999 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED!
 *  *         *
  *  ****  *
   *******





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From: "Handlebar Henry" 
To: <73567.1323@compuserve.com>
Subject: RE:  I visited your website and found it interesting
Date: Fri, 19 Mar 1999 08:01:03 -0600
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 3:01 PM 10/03/1999
Morisa Hargrove visited the site and signed the guest book at 8.5.1999 at 4;05 PM EDT

>>>>-Original Message-----
From:	Fernando Lárez [SMTP:mando_vzl@mailexcite.com]
Sent:	Thursday, September 10, 1998 5:46 PM
To:	jtisdall@Capaccess.org
Cc:	mando_vzl@mailexcite.com
Subject:	GOOD INFO!!ATENCION!!

Los felicito por su buena propaganda turistica de Venezuela, Pero yo pienso que deben cambiar la imagen turistica de Venezuela en torno a el 3er Millenium.
Reflejar a una Venezuela tecknificada, Moderna y futurista. Ejemp: El metro, paisajes de las pricipales Ciudades (nocturnos).
Rescatar la vida nocturna ,
El internet en Venezuela Y LAS TELECOMUNICACIONES (TELEFONIA CELLULAR)
Y otros, Muchas gracias por querer a Venezuela y nunca paren de trabajar por ella!!!
     
                              FERCORP.

vahyde[Jim Hyde] wrote on 4/3/00 3.03 am:

Just found your page with pictures of
Venezuela. Lived in Maracay from '59 till '62. Loved it there. Spent a lot of time at some
friends ranches in Estado de Bolivar and swam the Caroni which passes through his ranch,
Cantarana. Brought back some wonderful memories.

Jim Hyde

Dear Jim,
Thanks  for your kind letter. Just left La Victoria yesterday 
after a month in Aragua.  Will reply in depth later. This is
composed on palm device - a Visor by handspring so I must sync
 w/popmail friendly ISP before it is sent and ven provider refuses 
to send to my mail server.
I should do this within week. Pardon delay.
Venezuela is very precarious at the moment but if one ignores the 
press life appears to go on but at a crawl. No one has money save
 parts of Caracas and few people shop for more than food so stores 
are empty and the streets seem quieter than in the past in terms of
 quantity of traffic-Maybe its just La Victoria and the fact I hit
 Caracas on the weekends which have always been deserted by beachgoers.
 Begging got so bad the Vagabond Law(Ley de Vagabundos that allows 
massive vagrancy arrests) was returned to clear streets recently. I 
hope the rhetoric cools down and people get on with building a nation 
as the US tries at nation building early this past century were deemed
 marginal failures at best and since Statehood is not about to happen 
Venezuelans must pull together and end this series of catastrophes. 
The beauty of the land and people, the kindnessess from the most humble
, the excited but worried young students with great dreams, all of this
 and more keep my hope for just progress alive. Thanks for your 
memories of the Punto Fijo bad days that don't seem so bad as the 
population pressure was not as great and the horrible destruction and 
corruption billions of narco dollars and the Drug wars have done to
the moral fabric of the country was yet to be of consequence. I seem
to be getting carried away in my remarks of late. Must tone it down.
Thanks again for your memories.
Regards,

John 1:13 AM 8/14/00

> -----Original Message-----
> From: websupport@earthlink.net [mailto:websupport@earthlink.net]
> Sent: Saturday, September 09, 2000 12:47 PM
> To: jtisdall@earthlink.net
> Subject: MAILTO.CGI FORM DATA
> 
> 
> name = Susan
> email_addr = MPSnelling@aol.com
> email_subject = Gomez' stepson
> comments = We have recently learned that my husband is the 
> grandson of Gomez' stepson Carlos Bello, Dionysis's son.  Do you 
> have any recommendations as to information sources that we can 
> look up for further information on this man?  We are particularly 
> interested in why he came to NYC in the late 20's and what 
> happened to him, date of death, etc.
> 
> While English is preferred, we do have some Spanish language capacity.
> 
> Any direction that you can give us will be greatly appreciated.  
> Is it possible to have a direct response from you, rather than 
> posting the answer on this page?  
> 
> Sincerely,
> Susan Otheman
> form_name = feedback
> e-mail = address
> 
1:39 PM 9/11/00
Dear Susan- 
Gomez was never a believer in strict adherence to marriage and had 
numerous paramours leaving over one hundred recognized children if
memory serves. There were many intrigues amongst the children and some
turned against their father. At the time you mention, the late 20's , 
many young Venezuelans fled to NYC and Europe, as well as all over the 
Caribbean, following the abortive student led uprising of 28 that led 
to fierce reprisals and failed, as Gomez remained in power to his death.
I believe the leader, Romulo Betancourt, also spent time exiled in NYC 
before  returning eventually and his election as President.
This generation are referred to as the "veinteochistas" because the
uprising occurred in mil-novicientios-viente-ocho or 1928. Today they are 
considered to be the Fathers of Venezuelan Democracy, by the old folks at 
least, as younger people don't remember the repression that preceded their 
rise to power after Perez Jimenez lost power in the fifties and democratic 
government began and power sharing was institutionalized at the Pacto de Punto 
Fijo(pact of .....). I am just speculating , but most educated youth were very 
much against Gomez and this may have caused the exile of your relative as it 
did many, some of whom never returned. In NYC they would be comforted by the 
knowledge that the first asphalt paved streets were made with material brought 
from Venezuela before they realized that the oozing asphalt meant large oil reserves.
As far as reading in English, my bibliography has a few books , those by Alexander 
are good but out of print . A library is called fort here as Amazon has about 20 
books on special order for some years now with no result and I found them in 
Georgetown's library. Good Luck!!!!

Let me know if I can be of further assistance.

Regards,

John E. Tisdall
Anyone who can help Susan please contact her directly at this address: MPSnelling@aol.com

sited below. If translation is a problem, use babelfish.altavista.com or any

number of competing translation sites and, if they prove to provide dubious or

poor service, write me(I have done professional translating in the past for

legal cases and government clients but don't wish to make a career of written

translation at this point- positions where fluency is included in skill set

sought will be considered).
  

*****************************************************************************
name = jose vicente siritt chang
email_addr = nirgua@hotmail.com
email_subject = Felicitaciones
comments = Buscando fotos sobre la historia de Venezuela me encuentro con esta pagina muy bien diseñada y que sirve de portal de Venezuela en el exterior.
Muy buen trabajo con sabor Venezolano.

Pd: muy bueno colpocar a Chavez ahora somos famosos por el....
form_name = feedback
e-mail = address
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>J.E.T. comments....10:56 PM 4/28/01..Estimado Jose Vicente,
Eres muy amable decir tales cosas de mi pagina, aunque yo creo que deberia prestar mucho mas atencion en poner miles de fotos y articulos que tengo a disposicion al pueblo, si se ayuda solo uno vale la pena y con suerte en combate de esa terror de la medicina y brujuria humana, la floere humana. Algun dia sera.
Norteamericanos tambien son famosos por procastrinacion.	

I have had a number of e-mails that objected to the photo of President Chavez on the Images Page, usually followed by various obscenities and negative and unpublishable expletives about his presidency. I have answered these comments as best I could remembering I am a foreigner (albeit with over 15 years and a marriage to a Venezuelan behind me). I wrote that section when everyone was still hoping for the best and a rare moment of optimism had swept the country prior to the inauguration. I have chosen to keep it there as I wish him or his successor in the upcoming, postponed, "mega" elections all the brain power, cooperation, finance, honesty, transparency, decisiveness, integrity, international cooperation , debt relief, and support (from even opposition pols ) he will need to bring about the kind of change Venezuela needs to climb out of the quagmire of hostility, continued corruption, and rising unemployment that currently faces the long suffering people of one of the most beautiful and human and resource blessed countries on Earth.
The profound and systemic change in attitudes and willingness for self sacrifice that will be needed to really change the face of Venezuelan Democracy (Democracy like Communism has had a different face and depth in every country which has the term applied to it) and thus bring to an end the endemic poverty and hopelessness that keep the population firmly anchored to old ways (such as the belief that the subsoil petroleum rents will be enough to solve problems) and approaches that now must change in the light of a new day dawning around the globe. And here I mean  not a "Third Way" compassionate capitalism but the revolutionary changes in informatics that are causing upheaval and rapid change in resource allocation and economic structures of all stripes from small business to dirigistic State Economies. In Venezuela it will take courage and rigorous self honesty and a determination to keep all eyes on the ball as new technologies open previously closed markets. A Venezuelan with a better mousetrap will have access to a world of information and distribution channels when not long ago much of Latin America was cut off , unable to get goods to market as infrastructure built to serve mineral extraction did not always serve to promote markets from forming in the geographically challenging countries of Latin America which Venezuela exemplifies. It is not for me to speculate on who or how or what needs to be done, especially here. My only wish is to support any honest brokers who have the well-being and advancement of all of Venezuela in mind and not just the privileged or the lucky few who position themselves to benefit at the expense of the interests of the population as a whole. The poor need the rich to stay and invest their capital as much as the rich need the poor to not let despair take over and in the short term by resorting to actions which will further tarnish the often incorrect but important perceptions of those international entities that greatly affect the flow of job creating capital and developmental projects into the country, however inadequate and ill conceived this has been in the past. In short, I wish any and all those who honestly strive to improve their nation Godspeed, good luck, and the ability to walk in the shoes of others and know their burdens. Maybe the trend towards polarization of society can be kept from further inhibiting the chances for the type of policies that will bring prosperity and pride to a talented and varied population that has suffered unjustly for too long. So to all those who ask that President Chavez's photo be removed I say remember those too few days of hope when people thought a positive change might be at hand and take a longer view with that in mind. The President of the Republic will stay till he is constitutionally removed(unless there is an unfortunate "golpe") no matter what I or any of my readers may think of him as the riddle of history unfolds. No matter what one thinks of him, I would hope they wish him success in effecting positive change for all Venezuelans.

 Gringos salute the President out of respect for the office and not necessarily the man currently occupying it. Perhaps a little of that type of attitude could help assuage the differences and lack of social responsibility that have in many ways plagued a country who has had relatively little time to develop its own unique form of  burgeoning democratic tradition. It should be remembered that when the USA had a President promoting social security for the masses, Venezuela was ruled by a complicated autocrat who believed that liberty and a socially responsible government was a 'foolish" hope. All good things in good time. I most fervently hope. I just wish I was more certain of best way to get there but that is for Venezuelans to decide not interlopers like myself. 28.6.2000