FINALLY DEPT.
Why Jíbaros.com?
Someone told me once: "I've had a perfectly
wonderful time, but this wasn't it. —Groucho"

ibaros.com is a web magazine (e-zine) that celebrates the humble Puerto Rican campesino , the one that makes mistakes but seeks resiliently to bounce back without missing a beat. He learns from his errors and will not allow history to repeat itself on him.

About me... My name is Orlando... Orly... Orlo, et al. Nobody knows Orlando the artist, writer, musician. They know Don Jíbaro Barbanegra, my pen name, nom de plume, literary double... a pseudonym adopted  to conceal my identity. A pen name is used if a writer's real name is likely to be confused with the name of another writer or notable individual, or if their real name is deemed to be unsuitable. Orlando was a furious warrior. Not my idea of a man. I am an artist... a little one, an apprentice. A padawan.

Authors who write in fiction and non-fiction, or in different genres, may use pen names to avoid confusing their readers, as in the case mathematician Charles Dodgson, who wrote fantasy novels under the pen name Lewis Carroll. Some female authors use male pen names, particularly in the 19th century, when writing was a male-dominated profession. A pseudonym may also be used to hide the identity of the author, as in the case of exposé books about espionage or crime, or explicit fiction. Yikes!

I have admittedly considered myself somewhat of a curmudgeon.. a sensitive guy with a distaste for mediocrity who hides pain behind a somewhat thin layer of misanthropy. I mean, very thin. My kind can easily turn pain into humor while at the same time attack the shaggy-dog phony because it devalues genuine sentiment.

I also dislike the insincerely emotional such as hypocritical expressions of sympathy, mushy effusiveness, a schmaltzy Puerto Rican love song and definitely people who pretend to live their lives as a cheap sentimental soap opera.

To my detriment, people think that I have no hair on my tongue as not having a serviceable 'change of mind' mechanism. Yet some consider me as endowed with a somewhat keen perception and sly wit. For what it is worth, I thank each and everyone of them three. Yo, thanks!

Others think of me as a one whose discontent is a symptom rather than a disease. Well, I happen to pride myself in the former while I do admit to the latter. I want to, consequently, make clear that I will not compromise my standards and WILL NOT fake cheerfulness.

 
The ubiquitous cuatro

I might have gotten a bad rap in the same way that the messenger is blamed for the message: comment on the human condition without apology and continually refuse to applaud mediocrity, and if given the opportunity, will howl it down vehemently with morose glee... as in "For crying out loud...!!!" Subsequently, my versions of the truth might get softened with humor. Hee hee!

I went to a convalescent home  last Christmas...
The old timers wanted to learn to dance. I obliged.

"There's no greater love than to lay down
your life for your friends." —John 15:13

My fan base is comprised of people from within all ethnic groups who share a love, interest or passion for all things Puerto Rican. My goal is to promote the beauty and depth of that culture, its values and positive influence... as a contribution to the wellness of our local communities.

One of the activities that I'd love to have is a bi-monthly or quarterly Puerto Rican Pot Luck Dinner and Fellowship in which Puerto Rican food would be served. I'd also hope in having domino games, mini-concerts, readings, cuatro and conga classes, and many other CLEAN fun activities.

My simple vision is uniting existing Puerto Rican groups into a community where trust, respect and charity can be promoted and practiced. Helping and feeding the poor will be our altruistic objective... Let's do it! It's a tough street out there!

Berenjena

"Fools won't take advice, but the  smart will listen."  (Proverbs 12:15)