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By Roberto Garabell

 The Dominican Republic and its people depend highly on agriculture for their livelihood. They owe most of their development as a country to tourism and free trade. Trading clothes, cigars, coffee, flowers, sugar and vegetables are some of the commercial activities that the people are accustomed to. Some of the major trade items include petroleum, wood, industrial raw materials, food products and pharmaceuticals.

Africans and mixed Europeans were some of the very first inhabitants of the Dominican Republic. Many of the people practice Catholicism and have a very rich tradition of art and culture that they are very proud of. They have always promoted art, music and crafts into their livelihood. They celebrate jazz and local folk music in a special festival every year.

The Dominican Republic is the earliest of all the European colonies in the Western Hemisphere. Columbus established the settlement on the island of Santo Domingo in 1496. It became the main base for Spanish activities until the conquest of Mexico occurred. The Spanish lost to the French in 1664 and the latter took over the Western half of the island which is now known as Haiti. Toussaint L’Ouverture liberated the island in the 1790s; he was then rapidly followed by many others in the rule of Haiti. The most highly praised ruler of the island was Boyer. During his presidency, he united the two halves of the island together, although not permanently.

Boyer was able to maintain a degree of stability for the region. In the mid-1820s, he invaded and conquered the eastern half of the island of Santo Domingo. In 1821, the inhabitants rose in the rebellion against Spain. Boyer then began his rule over French-speaking Haiti and ruled Santo Domingo as a conquered province. Boyer’s rule was overthrown during the revolution in 1843. The upheaval of the revolution caused a good turning point for the eastern half of the island, when it finally claimed its independence from Haiti and became known as the Dominican Republic.

After a time, rulers of the Dominican Republic thought that the independence they so longed for was a foolhardy step, mainly due to the fear that another larger and much stronger invasion might occur from their neighbor, Haiti. From 1861 to 1865, the nation voluntarily returned to the status of a Spanish colony. During the early 20th century, there was a bit of danger in the cards for the Dominican Republic, due to European nations forcibly intervening in order to collect past due debts from the country. For a period of time, U.S. rule was forced upon the Republic. In 1916, Woodrow Wilson sent the Marines to the Republic during economic chaos and civil war, and the American military lasted there for eight years. The U.S. occupied the country between 1916 and 1924. Between 1930 and 1961, a dictator by the name of Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina took over rule of the country until his assassination.

Attempts at Democracy

After the assassination of Trujillo, there were many attempts to establish democracy. The frustration of coups, civil war and the renewal of American military aid did not make it any easier. In, 1966, Balaguer was elected president of the Republic and remained in office until 1978, when he lost the election to Antonio Guzman. Guzman did not stay long in office and lost his election to Salvador Blanco in 1982. However, in 1986 the aging and almost blind Balaguer was once again elected president. In 1994, the allegations of fraud in the election of Balaguer led to a new election in 1996, when Balaguer was barred. When he departed, he took the last link of the Trujillo era with him.

The Dominican Republic has had a rocky past and its history has been shady to say the least. Today, they have gained their diplomatic standing and are proud to call their country home.

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Don’t Enjoy Hot Coffee on Your Leg? Travel Mugs!

By Marty Jcafe

 So, you’re in need of the perfect travel coffee mug. You may think that this is a frivolous matter, but it’s not! You ought to mull over all aspects of your travel mug use ahead of plunking down your hard earned cash. If you just go out and willy nilly purchase a cheap mug, you will in all probability wind up chucking it away within a few weeks. Take the time to look for the ideal travel mug, and you may find yourself with that same mug for years to come.

If you keep reading, you will hit upon some helpful pointers to lend a hand in your hunt for the ideal travel mug.

Location, location, location. Will you be drinking coffee in your automobile? In a house or with a mouse? Seriously though, if you will be using your mug at a desk job, then you should look for a nice widespread mug with a slip proof base.

Will you be guzzling coffee while whizzing down the freeway at 70+ mph? Then think about your automobile’s cup holder. There are as many diverse types of cup holders as there are automobiles. Some will hold gigantic jugs of anything. Some will only have space for the thinest of mugs. I know I myself like to have a handle on my travel mug, but some automobile cup holders won’t fit a mug that possesses a handle located too low. There are some travel mugs that have one piece handles that fasten to the top of the mug only, allowing the bottom to fit firmly in your vehicle’s cup holder.

Quantity, quantity, quantity. Do you necessitate a large 16 oz mug, or will a 12 oz travel mug meet your requirements? One thing to contemplate is the larger the mug, the heavier it gets.

Heat, heat, heat! Do you like your coffee to remain smoking hot? The slower you drink your coffee, the more insulated of a travel mug you’ll require. The more barrel shaped the mug the less surface area there is to shield. A low profile mug will usually preserve heat longer than a skinny mug. The problem with a squatty mug is the cup holder issue.

What do you require your travel mug to be made of? Is stainless steel your thing, or do you prefer plastic? Personally, I like stainless steel travel mugs with a plastic lid. Double insulated stainless steel travel mugs that are stainless on the inside and out are the most excellent. Stainless steel looks pleasant and it lasts. buy the appropriate mug and you can hold on to if for a long time.

Lid, lid, lid. Unless you love taking a bath in 165 degree coffee while driving 70 mph, you will desire to find a travel mug with a firm fitting lid with a good slip slider. Some lids have wobbly fitting swivel closures. Those as a rule don’t work very well. They allow coffee to splatter everywhere. I favor the slip sliders, the tighter the better.

Another thing to point out is not all lids attach to mugs in the same way. Most travel mug lids have a lower segment that fits within the mug. They are held with rubber gaskets. Generally this kind of lid will be just fine for nearly everyone us, unless you have a custom of dropping things. These lids can pop off if the mug hits the ground just right. The least likely to come off lids are screw on. They still need some sort of gasket to thwart leaks, but the lid itself will stay put. If you really want a stainless steel mug with a screw lid you will have to really seek for one. I’ve only seen one yet.

Now that you’ve found your dream coffee mug, take good care of it. I’ve never seen a double walled travel mug that can be washed in a dishwasher. Use the old elbow grease and rinse that mug by hand, and don’t drench it in water. Double insulated mugs consist of an inner and outer shell that is glued together with a top ring. If you soak it long enough water will ooze into the inner walls and wreck your mug.

I would like to thank you for taking the time to look at this commentary. With any luck you are on your way to discovering the travel mug of your dreams. You can see that I’ve given you great advice so why not check out some of our custom stainless steel coffee mugs check out Nectar of Life. These are some fine coffee mugs..

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