QuoteCash-strapped Cuba says toilet paper running short
Fri Aug 7, 3:00 pm ET
HAVANA (Reuters) – Cuba, in the grip of a serious economic crisis, is running short of toilet paper and may not get sufficient supplies until the end of the year, officials with state-run companies said on Friday.
Officials said they were lowering the prices of 24 basic goods to help Cubans get through the difficulties provoked in part by the global financial crisis and three destructive hurricanes that struck the island last year.
Cuba's financial reserves have been depleted by increased spending for imports and reduced export income, which has forced the communist-led government to take extraordinary measures to keep the economy afloat.
"The corporation has taken all the steps so that at the end of the year there will be an important importation of toilet paper," an official with state conglomerate Cimex said on state-run Radio Rebelde.
The shipment will enable the state-run company "to supply this demand that today is presenting problems," he said.
Cuba both imports toilet paper and produces its own, but does not currently have enough raw materials to make it, he said.
One of the measures taken to address the cash crunch is a 20 percent cut in imports, which in recent days has become evident in the reduction of goods in state-run stores.
Cuba imports about 60 percent of its food.
Despite the shortages, prices will be cut between 5 percent and 27 percent for some food, drugs and personal hygiene products, officials said.
A visit to a store in Havana's Vedado neighborhood on Friday found that prices had dropped for mayonnaise, barbecue sauce and canned squid.
One customer, who gave his name only as Pedro, complained that "it doesn't look like prices have been lowered for the fundamental products" such as cooking oil.
Ana Maria Ortega, deputy director for military-run retail conglomerate TRD Caribe, said there will be no shortage of basic goods.
"The conditions are in place to maintain the supply of essential products," she said on the same radio program.
Cubans receive a subsidized food ration from the government each month that they say meets their needs for about two weeks.
President Raul Castro told the National Assembly last week that the government had cut its spending budget for the second time this year and has been renegotiating its debt and payments with foreign providers.
Cuba has long blamed the 47-year-old U.S. trade embargo against the island for many of its economic problems. It also said that last year's hurricanes did $10 billion worth of damage that forced the government to spend heavily on imports of food and reconstruction products.
Castro, who replaced his ailing older brother Fidel Castro as president last year, also has complained that Cuba's productivity is too low.
He has taken various steps to boost output, including putting more state-owned land in private hands and pushing for salaries to be based on productivity.
(Reporting by Nelson Acosta and Esteban Israel; Editing by Jeff Franks and Will Dunham)
But they can all get rice cookers! :XD:
Quote from: citizen k on August 16, 2009, 07:21:00 PM
Officials said they were lowering the prices of 24 basic goods to help Cubans get through the difficulties provoked in part by the global financial crisis...
Not sure I see the connection.
Shit, that just stinks!
Well, they can use baby wipes instead.
What a shitty situation.
Quote from: Siege on August 16, 2009, 08:07:34 PM
Well, they can use baby wipes instead.
Babies aren't that cheap these days... :(
As Fareed Zakaria said; "Capitalism may have it's problems, but at least we have toilet paper."
Quote from: Viking on August 16, 2009, 11:51:17 PM
As Fareed Zakaria said; "Capitalism may have it's problems, but at least we have toilet paper."
I catch GPS every Sunday. It was really good during the Iran elections.
Quote from: citizen k on August 17, 2009, 12:06:58 AM
Quote from: Viking on August 16, 2009, 11:51:17 PM
As Fareed Zakaria said; "Capitalism may have it's problems, but at least we have toilet paper."
I catch GPS every Sunday. It was really good during the Iran elections.
I used to download the video podcast of it.. but it just had too much starfucking. I prefer to read his stuff. I caught this randomly watching TV.
They do have newspapers, don't they? Newspapers did the job in Soviet Union.
All you can eat cigar for toilet paper!
And Castro is going to shit on the US again...
Quote from: citizen k on August 17, 2009, 12:06:58 AM
Quote from: Viking on August 16, 2009, 11:51:17 PM
As Fareed Zakaria said; "Capitalism may have it's problems, but at least we have toilet paper."
I catch GPS every Sunday. It was really good during the Iran elections.
Zakaria is a douchebag Islamopologist.
Quote from: DGuller on August 17, 2009, 12:25:00 AM
They do have newspapers, don't they? Newspapers did the job in Soviet Union.
Ouch....Painful. And inky.
Quote from: Tyr on August 17, 2009, 05:38:21 AM
Quote from: DGuller on August 17, 2009, 12:25:00 AM
They do have newspapers, don't they? Newspapers did the job in Soviet Union.
Ouch....Painful. And inky.
Pfft, it toughens your ass up.
I will think of Cuba when buying the super 24 roll packs at Wal-Mart later today.
I might even buy a rice cooker.
When I went to the University I swear the dorms had toilet paper that had bits of wood pulp in it, not just itsy pieces either, but inch long bits of bark and slivers.
THAT toughens up a man. Send some of that to the Cubans.
Cuba is being drowned by shit again?
Send them away to Miami by Mariel boatlifts. :cool:
From what I have heard, Cuba smells bad enough as it is.
Anyway, they better not start using tobacco leaves as a replacement :mad:
Quote from: Drakken on August 17, 2009, 09:31:23 AM
Cuba is being drowned by shit again?
Send them away to Miami by Mariel boatlifts. :cool:
Hurricane coming, it will sweep the shit all away.
Quote from: Viking on August 17, 2009, 11:11:32 AM
Quote from: Drakken on August 17, 2009, 09:31:23 AM
Cuba is being drowned by shit again?
Send them away to Miami by Mariel boatlifts. :cool:
Hurricane coming, it will sweep the shit all away.
Is it: Hurricane Douchebag?
I first read this as "Cubs run out of toilet paper" thinking maybe the Cubbies were having yet another horrible season
Quote from: BuddhaRhubarb on August 17, 2009, 11:23:47 AM
Quote from: Viking on August 17, 2009, 11:11:32 AM
Quote from: Drakken on August 17, 2009, 09:31:23 AM
Cuba is being drowned by shit again?
Send them away to Miami by Mariel boatlifts. :cool:
Hurricane coming, it will sweep the shit all away.
Is it: Hurricane Douchebag?
Not at D yet. We have Ana, Bill and Claudette as active hurricanes/tropical storms/tropical depressions on the map right now. Douchebag would be the next one.
that's right. too bad. best Hurricane name evah imo
Quote from: BuddhaRhubarb on August 17, 2009, 11:23:47 AM
Quote from: Viking on August 17, 2009, 11:11:32 AM
Quote from: Drakken on August 17, 2009, 09:31:23 AM
Cuba is being drowned by shit again?
Send them away to Miami by Mariel boatlifts. :cool:
Hurricane coming, it will sweep the shit all away.
Is it: Hurricane Douchebag?
No, Hurricane Bidet.
Quote from: Scipio on August 17, 2009, 11:29:22 AM
Quote from: BuddhaRhubarb on August 17, 2009, 11:23:47 AM
Quote from: Viking on August 17, 2009, 11:11:32 AM
Quote from: Drakken on August 17, 2009, 09:31:23 AM
Cuba is being drowned by shit again?
Send them away to Miami by Mariel boatlifts. :cool:
Hurricane coming, it will sweep the shit all away.
Is it: Hurricane Douchebag?
No, Hurricane Bidet.
I thought of that first (having lived in Japan, where bidets are popular) but went for the cruder option.
Quote from: BuddhaRhubarb on August 17, 2009, 11:32:39 AM
Quote from: Scipio on August 17, 2009, 11:29:22 AM
Quote from: BuddhaRhubarb on August 17, 2009, 11:23:47 AM
Quote from: Viking on August 17, 2009, 11:11:32 AM
Quote from: Drakken on August 17, 2009, 09:31:23 AM
Cuba is being drowned by shit again?
Send them away to Miami by Mariel boatlifts. :cool:
Hurricane coming, it will sweep the shit all away.
Is it: Hurricane Douchebag?
No, Hurricane Bidet.
I thought of that first (having lived in Japan, where bidets are popular) but went for the cruder option.
I remember pressing the automatic wipe button on the electronic toilet. I'm not sure which was more interesting the warm water spray or the blow drying from below.
Quote from: derspiess on August 17, 2009, 10:48:22 AM
From what I have heard, Cuba smells bad enough as it is.
Anyway, they better not start using tobacco leaves as a replacement :mad:
its too sticky and sugary, and it has poor absorbency.
spagnum moss is great. however, I'm pretty sure Cuba doesn't have much, except maybe in the mountains.
Quote from: saskganesh on August 17, 2009, 11:47:55 AM
Quote from: derspiess on August 17, 2009, 10:48:22 AM
From what I have heard, Cuba smells bad enough as it is.
Anyway, they better not start using tobacco leaves as a replacement :mad:
its too sticky and sugary, and it has poor absorbency.
spagnum moss is great. however, I'm pretty sure Cuba doesn't have much, except maybe in the mountains.
ooh "Spagnum Moss" is the name of my new prog rock side project.
you are having a busy musical day.
may I suggest "kinnikinnick" for your sound+ image placement collage?
Quote from: saskganesh on August 17, 2009, 01:18:46 PM
you are having a busy musical day.
may I suggest "kinnikinnick" for your sound+ image placement collage?
done and done.
Quote from: Viking on August 17, 2009, 11:25:37 AM
Quote from: BuddhaRhubarb on August 17, 2009, 11:23:47 AM
Quote from: Viking on August 17, 2009, 11:11:32 AM
Quote from: Drakken on August 17, 2009, 09:31:23 AM
Cuba is being drowned by shit again?
Send them away to Miami by Mariel boatlifts. :cool:
Hurricane coming, it will sweep the shit all away.
Is it: Hurricane Douchebag?
Not at D yet. We have Ana, Bill and Claudette as active hurricanes/tropical storms/tropical depressions on the map right now. Douchebag would be the next one.
Hurricane names are in alphabetical order?
Quote from: Siege on August 18, 2009, 09:03:38 PM
Quote from: Viking on August 17, 2009, 11:25:37 AM
Quote from: BuddhaRhubarb on August 17, 2009, 11:23:47 AM
Quote from: Viking on August 17, 2009, 11:11:32 AM
Quote from: Drakken on August 17, 2009, 09:31:23 AM
Cuba is being drowned by shit again?
Send them away to Miami by Mariel boatlifts. :cool:
Hurricane coming, it will sweep the shit all away.
Is it: Hurricane Douchebag?
Not at D yet. We have Ana, Bill and Claudette as active hurricanes/tropical storms/tropical depressions on the map right now. Douchebag would be the next one.
Hurricane names are in alphabetical order?
Yes.
The Cubans could just invest in those Japanese electronic toilet seat/bidets.
not enough electricity supply.
Quote from: Siege on August 18, 2009, 09:03:38 PM
Hurricane names are in alphabetical order?
I am constantly amazed by you. So much so that from time to time I'm convinced that you are a sock puppet. But then again from time to time I'm convinced that no mind is twisted enough to invent you.
We used to name hurricanes by alphabetical order, but only female names would be used. The system was overhauled a few years ago, so that each jurisdiction in the east Pacific region would take turns to name hurricanes using whatever they like.
Quote from: Monoriu on August 19, 2009, 01:10:15 AM
We used to name hurricanes by alphabetical order, but only female names would be used. The system was overhauled a few years ago, so that each jurisdiction in the east Pacific region would take turns to name hurricanes using whatever they like.
There are no Hurricanes in the East Pacific. They are typhoons.
Just because they are in the eastern pacific doesn't make them that rich.
Quote from: PDH on August 19, 2009, 07:10:06 AM
Just because they are in the eastern pacific doesn't make them that rich.
typhoon /= tycoon
I took a shit this morning (1 turd, ball shaped), and used my American toilet paper. I felt like Scrooge McDuck.
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 07:47:03 AM
I took a shit this morning (1 turd, ball shaped),
You need to drink more water. And more fiber. ;)
Quote from: citizen k on August 19, 2009, 12:37:20 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 07:47:03 AM
I took a shit this morning (1 turd, ball shaped),
You need to drink more water. And more fiber. ;)
wa ter? :huh:
Agua caliente
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 07:47:03 AM
I took a shit this morning (1 turd, ball shaped), and used my American toilet paper. I felt like Scrooge McDuck.
I launched a U-boat about 15 minutes ago.
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 05:31:20 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 07:47:03 AM
I took a shit this morning (1 turd, ball shaped), and used my American toilet paper. I felt like Scrooge McDuck.
I launched a U-boat about 15 minutes ago.
Too much fiber. Not enough water.
The conning tower couldn't have felt good.
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 05:31:20 PM
Quote from: Ed Anger on August 19, 2009, 07:47:03 AM
I took a shit this morning (1 turd, ball shaped), and used my American toilet paper. I felt like Scrooge McDuck.
I launched a U-boat about 15 minutes ago.
I would have expected an underwater alien UFO from you.
Quote from: Siege on August 26, 2009, 06:46:32 PM
I would have expected an underwater alien UFO from you.
Now I
know you're drunk. Replying to a comment Ed made about his turds from
a week ago? :P
Quote from: DontSayBanana on August 26, 2009, 06:50:45 PM
Quote from: Siege on August 26, 2009, 06:46:32 PM
I would have expected an underwater alien UFO from you.
Now I know you're drunk. Replying to a comment Ed made about his turds from a week ago? :P
I am NOT drunk.
I have not smelled alcohol in 32.
Speaking of U-Boat turds, Admiral Donitz has another one on the slipways ready to launch.
You need help.
Quote from: Siege on August 26, 2009, 07:31:35 PM
You need help.
I can wipe my own ass. Thanks for thinking of me. :)
Your butt smells of monkeys.
You shouldn't let monkeys own your butt.