A R C H I V O   2 0

BACK TO THE BLOGS

Domingo, 14 de Mayo, 11:46:13 AM
"New banking attire..." The Mexican bank association has gotten together to ban people from wearing hats, sunglasses and using cel phones (I thought cels were banned a few years back?) while in the bank to cut down on robberies - and so they can get better pictures of the robbers on the security cams. That is gonna be tough here in the ranchero towns, where everybody wears a cowboy hat or baseball cap...

Check out the projectiles that were launched by the police against the Atenco citizens during the war 10 days ago. Made in the USA....... bueno.

Viernes, 12 de Mayo, 07:56:48 PM
"Another week of Mexican holidays..." Survived the May holidays here - May Day (in the US it was better known as "inconvenience day" as immigrants filled the street in a show of unity - funded by the the US Unions, among other), then we had a revived Cinco de Mayo (no longer just for gringos...), the battle of San Salvador Atenco, Mother's Day (which ranks up there with Navidad as one of the most important holidays of the year in Mexico) and finally Dia de Maestro... Teacher's Day is Monday. Then we can get back to normal around here, at least for the rest of the month.

So much vacaciones that I now finding myself agreeing with Arnold Schwarzenegger - no National Guard on the borders! Of course this, the topic of Bush's positive (scare tactics) for Christian America speech tonight on the major networks. (anything to try and boost his 'beyond low' public approval ratings) All of which translates the same - USELESS... nobody believes a word this guy says anymore, and the nightmare may not be over in a couple years like the entire world hopes - we might have to deal with Jeb!

Viernes, 05 de Mayo, 07:27:46 PM
"All Quiet On The Local Front..." Today in San Salvador Atenco all is quiet. Two days ago the police came in and tried to forcefully remove local flower dealers that they suspected to be selling illegally (or is there another WalMart being planned...?). During the clash a 14 year old boy was killed by police, many people beaten and arrested and some still missing. In return, the locals kidnapped 20 or 30 police to trade for the release of their amigos. Yesterday morning the police came door to door with more than 300 police. If you opened the door, they burst in looking for whatever - if you didn't open the door, they broke it down. All of this was happening as the Zapatistas just happen to be in town, after the boy was killed on the streets Delegate Zero (Commander Marcos) announced that the Zapatistas were now on Red Alert again.

Updated information on the arrested, missing and dead can be found at the Narco News website.

Today is Cinco de Mayo, a much celebrated holiday in the US (mainly by gringos), but in the past 5 or 6 years the holiday has had a resurrection of sorts here in Mexico. In fact, now the Govt., banks and large business take the day off... (I guess beating the French is now becoming popular again)

Lunes, 01 de Mayo, 05:21:32 PM
"Let's Keep Focused..." Some are going beyond what the 'Illegal Immigrant' marches are all about and starting to call it an 'Illegal AND Legal Immigrant' march... think! Except for the American Indian... EVERYBODY in the USA is an immigrant!

Here locally in our little pueblo of about 200,000 people, maybe 100 care about what is going on with their illegal brothers in the US. There are still alot of locals lining up for their Big Mac's, a favorite place of the ranchers, who are usually the ones who end up crossing (illegally) over the borders to work.

Hopefully all will end peacefully tonight and everybody can all get back to work and enjoy their "Made in America" products and services again - assembled and labored by illegal immigrants.

Viernes, 28 de Abril, 09:52:47 PM
"This is why National Anthem's are NOT translated into other languages..."

Nuestro Himno (Our Anthem)

Amanece, lo veis?, a la luz de la aurora?

lo que tanto aclamamos la noche caer?

sus estrellas sus franjas

flotaban ayer

en el fiero combate

en señal de victoria,

fulgor de lucha, al paso de la libertada.

Por la noche decían:

"Se va defendiendo!"

Oh decid! Despliega aún

Voz a su hermosura estrellada,

sobre tierra de libres,

la bandera sagrada?

Sus estrellas, sus franjas,

la libertad, somos iguales.

Somos hermanos, en nuestro himno.

En el fiero combate en señal de victoria,

Fulgor de lucha, al paso de la libertada.

Mi gente sigue luchando.

Ya es tiempo de romper las cadenas.

Por la noche decían: "!Se va defendiendo!"

Oh decid! Despliega aún su hermosura estrellada

sobre tierra de libres,

la bandera sagrada?

The English translation...

By the light of the dawn, do you see arising,

what we proudly hailed at twilight's last fall?

Its stars, its stripes

yesterday streamed

above fierce combat

a gleaming emblem of victory

and the struggle toward liberty.

Throughout the night, they proclaimed:

"We will defend it!"

Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave

above the land of the free,

the sacred flag?

Its stars, its stripes,

liberty, we are the same.

We are brothers in our anthem.

In fierce combat, a gleaming emblem of victory

and the struggle toward liberty.

My people fight on.

The time has come to break the chains.

Throughout the night they proclaimed, "We will defend it!"

Tell me! Does its starry beauty still wave

above the land of the free,

the sacred flag?

What the hell is this!!??? This isn't the National Anthem we all learned back in school or hear at sporting events.....??? ..in fact, it sounds kinda gay! This is why throughout the world the National Anthem is written and sung in the native language of THAT country, it was written for it's native people, a nation's anthem!

.....not for immigrants!!!

Viernes, 28 de Abril, 05:30:06 PM
"Getting ready for the "Nothing Gringo" boycott..." Can't wait for Monday to see the start of the race war in the US... there are alot of uneducated, small minded people involved in this campaign. The real question here is "why not just boycott US products period!" ? In other countries if they have a problem with a country they boycott their products until they are removed from the store shelves - permenently!

Why....? I'll tell you why... Mexico (and Mexicans) cannot live without US products - a Mexican without a Coke is like a Cuban without a cigar! But, as much as Mexican's need, crave and desire US products - the US needs the cheap 'unskilled' labor that packages, assembles and harvests these products for the Latino consumer.

Alot of these 'so called' leaders of the boycott are demanding unrealistic solitions to solving the immigration problem - just look to any other country in the world and you will not see one that offers immigration policies that these (lame) leaders demand.

Even Mexico, doesn't come close to their ideals - Mexico is one of the tougher countries on immigration in the world... "you want to live here? You do what we say and play by our rules - the Mexican way! ....or you can go back to where you came from amigo."

...and if you were to go around waving the US flag down here, how long do you think it would take to get it taken away, burned, or your person getting beaten up because of it? The small minded people here, in the small towns are already starting up an anti-American attitude again, thanks to uninformed and braindead idiot leaders that just want to kick-ass, get barracho´d and party.

As I said before.... ¡ FIX MÉXICO !

Viernes, 21 de Abril, 02:51:36 PM
"Naked farmers in Mexico City...?" Is this art or a protest??? You decide... Summer can't be far behind as the annual protest of the organization '400 Pueblos'. Every year the farmers (men and women) come to the zocalo in México to protest and fight for land rights of the poor Mexican farmers.

I guess with the coming again of what seems to be now an annual event from '400 Pueblos', the rainy season can't be far behind.... all of México is in desperate need of some good rain right now, from the small towns to the big cities water is becoming scarce - Mexico City is even having days without any water and in this heat (mid to high 80's F) water is like gold!

Miercoles, 12 de Abril, 10:23:57 PM
"Lining up for confession..." Today most of Mexico begins to close up shop for the "Santa Semana! (holy week) celebrations for Easter. Even though the new Pope isn't as well liked as Pope John was, people were still lining up today at our town's three churches to be good Catholics and give their confessions (as requested by the new Pope). Of course Iran started off their celebration of the birth of the Profit Mohammad yesterday by thanking him for nukes...

Am I the only person who meditated in this town for Buddha's birthday last week?

Please pass the hot cross buns..........

Miercoles, 05 de Abril, 12:09:02 PM
"AeroMaybe...???" Aero California just got shut down this week for its unsafe and insecure airline ways... the thing is, Aero California was always an adventure, you never knew when the planes would take off (if at all...) nor if you would arrive at your destination - period. I used to fly AeroMaybe (as is was affectionately known by her regular clientel) as I skipped around the Baja for a few years. On my flights to and from La Paz the bulk of the passenger list would mainly be fishermen. On the trips down there would be great stories, excitement and bumpy rides,and you would meet some of the most amazing people, with that bright sparkle of life in their eyes as they embark on another adventure to the beautiful Sea of Cortez (and an e-ticket ride on Aero California). On the way back to Los Angeles the tone would be different... with tired, drunk and smelly fisherman with new stories, including the ones on how they fit all of their coolers full of fish into the airlines tiny cargo bay.

Hopefully Aero California will be back, Baja wouldn't be the same without her... the real Mexican adventure of the old west can not be experienced properly without good 'ol AeroMaybe !

"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...

There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag... We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."

Theodore Roosevelt, 1919

Lunes, 27 de Marzo, 10:27:43 AM
"We are here, we are illegal, and proud to be Mexican..." Yes........? And this gives you what rights? I left California 9 years ago, been a full time resident of Mexico ever since. I talk to many Mexican's whom legally and illegally cross the border every year, they send back money, bring back shiney new trucks and continually build larger and larger casas on their land. They couldn't do this is they stayed here in Mexico.

I had a business here "legally" in Mexico for 4 years, we had to close the company and become "fiscal personas" because we couldn't afford all of the rules and laws laid out by the Mexican government to do business. Of course we are still legal and pay our taxes, but we no longer have employees, nor social security insurance. This is the same problem that plagues ALL business in Mexico and unless you hide and play an illegal 'cash' game, you are screwed!

What bothers me most about the immigration demonstrations is that this is going to effect me personally when I renew my FM2 papers in a few months to stay legal here in Mexico. Last year, because of the US pressuring Mexico on terrorism... immigration took almost 2 months to get my papers back to me (it usually takes 21 days...). Now with this new ingredient thrown into the mix I know I will be having new problems and possible delays with renewing my papers.

Unless you come to Mexico from the US to hide, you eventually have to go through the mounds of paperwork and become legal.... not in 10 or 20 years, but usually within 5. Mexican's are a proud and stubborn people, right or wrong they fight (to the end) for their beliefs... but the focus of this immigration issue needs to be rerouted to the real cause of the problem that makes Mexican's risk their lives every single day.....

¡ FIX MÉXICO !

Martes, 21 de Marzo, 01:02:33 PM
"Feliz Cumpleaños Benito..." Today marks Benito Juarez's 200th birthday celebration, though if you live in Mexico you have probably been celebrating since last Friday night... President Juarez is Mexico's Abrahan Lincoln (of sorts...) “Among individuals, as among nations, peace is the respect of others' rights". ("Entre los individuos como entre las naciones, el respeto al derecho ajeno es la paz") one of his most famous quotes. Almost every town has an avenue or boulevard named after him, he's on our money.... a humble and honest indigenous man who somehow made it through the prejudices and the school system, graduating from a University in Mexico (which was about as hard as a black man trying to do the same before the 1960's in the U.S.), before the days of the corrupt political party systems took over. Of course you could probably say the same about the early US Presidents, which are totally corrupt now as well, being run by the mega corporations, instead of for and by the people.

Jueves, 16 de Marzo, 02:28:07 PM
"Agua..." In the land where bottles water is a necessity - Mexico being the 2nd largest consumer of bottled water in the world. The selling of bottled water is a $100 billion dollar industry that Coca Cola, Pepsi and Nestle are cashing in on - and their main customers are the poor of Mexico, China, India, etc. In some lower barrio areas in Mexico where the waters are high in magnesium and iron, brown water (sometimes called "tamarindo water") is all that ever flows out of the pipes. Alot of areas get very limited running water, from a few hours a day to only a few hours a week. When it rains most of Mexico's water runs down the sewers untouched, water treatment plants a very few and can't handle near the amounts needed to do any good.

Mexico alot of times paves over its river, turns them into sewers and expressways (or both) - ecology is a joke and no politician wants to run on a platform of cleaning up the water anymore because they know that it just won't happen. This week there are thousands of people camping out in Mexico City's zocalo protesting the privatization of the waters and dam building, taking the precious waters from rural indigenous lands and rerouting to the various metropolis´. Here in our town we have our own rio and fresh water supply. For the five years I have been living here we have watched our rivers and lakes go dry, our water pressure drop because of our natural water supply being rerouted to the city of Queretaro and even down to Mexico City.

I have lived in the Baja and on mainland Mexico for almost 10 years now, we have had our water shortages and have had to live without water for a couple weeks at a time (after hurricanes). But imagine having to do this your entire life?!! Yes you adapt, just like people in the middle east adapt to the sound of explosions on a daily basis... but it is not a good or a healthy prognosis. Today starts the IV World Water Forum in Mexico City, lets hope that there is more than just a thread of support for the people of the world and not just ways to destroy the earth's fresh water systems.

Jueves, 9 de Marzo, 01:27:42 PM
"Welcome to Epidemiclandia..." Our area has been experiencing 3 major epidemics for the past month and as soon as it seems to subside other areas catch it and bring it back to town. We are in the throngs of the slow moving Rotovirus..... you have it for a week or so, it seems to go away, then comes back and attacks you again. Children are missing months of school from the hepatitis and rubella virus' spreading through the schools and ranchos. Personally, I haven't been infected by any of them (yet) but we have gone through the rotovirus and hepatitis here (and it won't go away!) for over a month now.

Every year Mexico seems to run into epidemics or brand new unknown strains of flu and virus'. Most people believe that it is the govt. (or other governments) experimenting with deadly flu virus', making us all the guina pigs. While others believe it is the will of god and the upcoming end of the world as we know it... remember, the Mayan calendar runs out soon (2012).... did they know something that we still do not know?

Martes, 7 de Marzo, 08:56:12 PM
"Human Rights in Mexico..." Do they exist? Overall human rights here are fairly none existent, from the Dirty Wars in the 60's through the legal abortion laws of today. The only real justice is still "an eye for an eye", if you want results. It is amazing how 3rd World we are here in so many ways and unfortunately, it more or less is part of the culture and acceptance that is the way things go... we already talked about (as much as I want to) the Dirty Wars and the leaked document and a surprised Fox PAN government having to deny the paper is real...

We see that the government and local authorities don't really care about all of the women murdered in Juarez, why......... too much fun for a town full of sickos? ...or perks of the local police? Same goes for womens rights to a safe and legal abortion, the laws and people who are supposed to help the victims instead make the victim into the perpetrator. Now I understand that this is a Catholic society, but the church and Vatican have tried to control peoples lives for hundreds of years - some of these people themselves are rapists and thieves, but that is okay, they are men of the cloth and forgiven in the Vatican's eyes.

Yesterday in the North Dakota, the George Bush Christians wrote into law an asinine abortion bill making it illegal to have an abortion even in cases of incest or rape unless the mothers health is in danger from the ensuing pregnancy (Roe vs Wade all over again). This is about as stupid as Mexico's law deeming incest as a consensual act!?? Give me a freakin' break!

So it seems the US is now abusing the rights of their people, and in their own country - not just to minorities and immigrants (as usual), but soon to every female in the country. Forget all of the abuses of war, this is worst... psycho-christian groups pressuring the state governments because they have drunk the Kool Aid of "scare tactics" that the Bush Regime has been using to promote their reasons for war and their "spying is okay" senario.

More info on the Mexico issue can be found at this very informative Human Right Watch website.

SUBSCRIBE AND GET BLOG UPDATES
DIRECTLY TO YOUR EMAIL!

BACK TO THE BLOGS