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A R C H I V O 4
Mon Oct 20, 03:35:02 PM
Good News.... the river has gone down about 8 feet, now I don't think I need
a boat anymore. Rains have stopped (almost 2 days now), I hope the neighboring
towns are feeling some relief of the flood waters now.
We didn't report on the La Paz dolphins deaths last month during Hurricane Marty that ripped through the Baja. So many stories and bad facts were written about what happened and why to the dolphins died that until the waters cleared (so to speak) no calm editorials could come forth. Yes unfortunately 3 more have died leaving 4 out of the original eight in the La Paz pens. All we can say at the moment is thank you Javier Aedo for doing your best being the non-salaried caretaker of these amazing animals and for doing what you could to help these creatures while being tied up in heavy bureaucratic paper. Thanks to Javier, the remaining 4 dolphins have recovered and are doing fine.
There are no good "swim with dolphin" programs anywhere in the world! And as long as people* are willing to spend $100 each to swim and pet these highly intelligent animals more and more of these poor victims of the human race will continue to die.
* These are probably the same people that think Arnold will make a good Governor for California.
California Uber Alles
Sat Oct 18, 03:11:27
PM
Oops, the rains have just started............. wish us luck!
Sat Oct 18, 02:37:51
PM
Waiting for the rains_____________ still, have too much water around us
and if it rains today (and it has looked like it all day) we might need a panga
(boat) to get around town. Will update on Monday unless the rio overflows. Some
people fear a return to when the valley got flooded and actually carved out
the surrounding bluffs and mountains (hundreds of years ago).... which would
mean we would be under about 100 feet of water. Okay, get real people! It ain't
gonna happen........
Fun News: The people of Monterrey are praying for Marilyn Manson, yes that perverted satanic goth shock rocker is coming to play in the college town in Monterrey in November. This will be a real good story if it happens... Ranchers will beat the chit outta him if they get past the bodyguards.
Tue Oct 14, 11:26:08
AM
...just returned home from Mexico City and amazingly it is still raining
here!?? The rio (river) is about to overflow, not a good thing since our casa
is less than a block away from the (now raging) Rio de San Juan. ¿Que
Oanda? ...what's up? Half of Mexico is / has been underwater for the past
month! Were are overly feliz Mother Nature, we don't need anymore lluvia (rain),
gracias.
Sun Oct 12, 04:02:12
PM
Sitting in my hotel in D.F. watching one of Mexico's favorite Warner
Bros. cartoons... SPEEDY GONZALES !!!
I remember when I was a kid and they pulled the plug on Speedy - those stupid
conservative Christian, Moral Majority, Hispanic and Black groups that were
watchdogging TV shows and ended up dictating what was good or bad for the public
(unfortunately American TV bent to these groups for fear of loosing advertising
dollars), remember when they removed the explosions in cartoons and you just
saw the after effects? (really stupid... it ruined the Roadrunner) ...some special
Hispanics groups that got Seņor Speedy removed from the air claimed that the
cartoon was derogatory to Mexicans and portrayed them in a bad light. Well,
I have news for you jerks! Mexico has loved their Speedy Gonzales since day
one, and the Spanish dub is great! (compared to most other Spanish dubbed cartoons)
Sr. Speedy has a true Latin flavor like it was actually made here in Mexico,
instead of Los Angeles.
Anybody remember the Frito Bandito? Another character I'm sure Mexico would have embraced as their own (who also got banned...) the only problem Mexico might have had with him is his theme song, satirized from the much beloved and famous Mexican song "Cielito Lindo" (translates to: "beautiful little sky" or "small beautiful heaven"... depending on how much in love you are with the girl you are singing it to).
Mon Oct 06, 04:55:47
PM
Thank God I no longer live in California! Amazing that another actor
will probably end up running California... but the real scary thing is that
Arnold will just be the biggest puppet in history (reading scripts via Hollywood
writers) while the power mongers will be in the background controling California.
What a joke! Mexico has its problems... but they don't have complete fools running
their states. Where is Jerry Brown now that we need him!??
In Mexico News: bummer....... Reforma (one of Mexico's best newspapers) became a "pay site" last week, so I guess I'll have to make these blogs a "pay site" soon too... what do you think?
Wed Oct 01, 04:31:03
PM
October 2, 1968... tomorrow is the 35th anniversary of the killing of
hundreds of students (the actual number released by the Mexico security forces
is around 38 people, but most journalists and witnesses say it was more like
500 students.) Today started the release of classified documents of what really
went on in 1968, two weeks before the Olympics in Mexico City. There is still
alot of information that needs to come out. I guess we are lucky to get any
new info at all here, check the link
and tomorrow give your respects to the innocent that died because of corruption
and power mongers... "little minds with too much authority".
The Kent State massacre in 1970 was nothing compared to this atrocity.
Mon Sep 29, 02:26:47
PM
Gracias for the positive comments on our blog page redesign... the old
version was colorful, but not us. Also, in the next couple weeks we hope to
be able to have daily blogs. We just got approved for a phone number!!! (...only
took 9 months, amazing______) If you live in the San Juan area hurry and get
on that Telmex
waiting list, there are only 19 more numbers available, then you'll have to
wait until next year.
Sun Sep 28, 11:48:21
AM
It is official... Mexico makes some of the best quality armored and bulletproof
vehicles in the world! As crime and kidnappings increase all over Mexico you
see more people with bodyguards (some highly trained by ex-Israeli special forces
personnel) and specially equipped vehicles, some bulletproof, others with enough
armor to supposedly withstand a grenade attack.
What a wonderful world we live in!
Tequila by the bottle? If Mexico has it's way bulk quantities of tequila will no longer be shipped to the US (the largest consumers of tequila outside of Mexico), Mexico wants complete control of their agave product. This will be good for Mexico (alot of jobs) and of course Bush and tequila distributors are crying the blues saying this is an illegal act by Mexico.... (???) Ya? What is so illegal about having 100% control of your own product... maybe the US needs to start growing agaves? Really getting tired of hearing the rich nations whine and bitch while they keep reaming the poorer third world countries.
Who wants tequila bottled in Chicago?
Thur Sep 25, 01:27:08
PM
We are back from our short excursion to D.F., the rains weren't as bad there
as in the northern parts of Mexico which really are flooded and alot of people
are remain homeless and most crops were destroyed in Queretaro, Guanajuato and
Nayarit. And of course Hurricane Marty didn't help... still waiting to hear
from amigos in Cabo San Lucas and La Paz to see how bad the hurricane was and
if it was worse than Julietta two years ago (when I still lived there). They
are predicting that we will have rains until December this year, which is quite
unusual... the rains should be done by now.
Tepito / Lagunilla Mercados are back in business, though some vendors have left and the quantities of interesting (contraband) stuff seems a little light at the moment. The big news Sunday at the mercados was the arrest of "El Tanque" (The Tank) a Tepito (muscle-bound) baddie and some of his entourage, when we left there were still A.F.I. agents posted at the perimeters of the mercado.
Otherwise, was a pretty basic week here...
Fri Sep 19, 04:10:32
PM
Heading to Mexico City manana to meet with our artesanos in Coyoacan and visit
Lagunilla again for mas treasures, that usually end up on our Casa
De Mexico website. So blogs may be delayed a couple of days but be sure
to check back on next Thursday or Friday for new blogs. Remember, have any comments
or questions... we are just an email
away!
Thur Sep 18, 02:26:11
PM
Mass Explosions and Mayhem Erupt during
"Independence Day" Festivities! (...kidding) I think Mexico
has now recovered from the celebrations of the past few days, I know after "El
Grito" Monday night we had enough... now it is just mass food consumption
time, the neighbors rang the door all morning on the 16th bringing by leftovers
from the night before. Mexicans like food and love to eat, they make every event
a reason to get together and consume
mas comida! (somebody dies... lets eat!)
So besides lots of food, the motif was green, white and red (of course) all around the square, all over the people. There was lots of Mexican dancing, Mariachis and local dignitaries up on the stage... then at 10:45 came the declaration and The Shout! (El Grito) followed by fireworks and and lots of partying families. Fortunately the rains cooperated and stayed away until the following day... locals say it never rains on the eve of "El Grito". And I now believe them!
Mon Sep 15, 12:07:49
PM
Well, we are half way through the 16 de Septiembre
Independence Day Celebrations... fiestas started Friday night (along
with lots of rain and thunderstorms...) and will carry on until tomorrow night,
then everybody will crawl their way back to work on Miercoles.
"El Grito" (The Shout) at 10pm tonight in every town square and zocalo in Mexico you will hear the shout of freedom. Mexico gained it's independence from Spain on the 16 de Septiembre del 1810, from the bell tower of an obscure parish church in Dolores, Guanajuato, Padre Miguel Hidalgo first cried out the words that awoke Mexico to freedom: "Mexicanos! Viva la independencia! Viva la libertad! Viva los heroes!..."
This is Mexico's biggest party of the year!
Viva Mexico!
News Flash: Just heard that Canada's "mad cow" beef is on its way to Mexico! Too bad it won't make it in time for the festivities...
And... for the 2nd time in 4 years talks at the WTO in Cancun broke down and nothing was accomplished.... which is a victory for the poor nations that are trying to get a fair deal from the US and the European Nations.
Sun Sep 14, 06:52:31
PM
It's that time again.... FM2 renewal (so I can live and work here in
beautiful Mexico). Used to be the biggest (mo$t expen$ive) hassle to staying
legal in Mexico, but here in Queretaro they are amazingly professional, courteous
and helpful... of course at the last minute they always (always...) ask for
an extra unexpected document or letter explaining something, but the extra effort
is well worth the trouble, especially when up until 2 years ago I had to deal
with the corrupt Migracion officers in Cabo San Lucas... not only were they
unhelpful, they had you change information on your letters many times (hmmm,
missing a comma here...), had extra fines or fees (mas Cokes........) and it
would take a month to get your papers processed and accepted!
Small minded people with authority! The worst kind of government scenario... (the head guy got busted for bribery as I was leaving Cabo).
So, I am legal again for another year (yeah!)... I can do just about anything a Mexican can, except vote or get into politics (or write political blogs? hmmmmmmm....... dunno about that one).
...and the "16th of September" (Independence Day), sounds like a worthy time to celebrate!
Wed Sep 10, 11:48:16
AM
Park where you like, speed if you want to, run a red light, don't bother
renewing your driver's license, seatbelts? forget it! Sound like heaven?
(...maybe on the verge of Hell?),
well in Ecatepec a city just north of Mexico City, the Mayor (to rid the city
of police bribes) has collected all the ticket books and abolished all parking
and traffic laws! Of course the Policia are unhappy... most of them earn a paltry
$4,200 pesos a month (about $400 dollars), but with bribes they upped their
salaries by as much as $20,000 ($2,000 dollars) pesos mas. The new mayor (who
himself took a $40,000 peso pay cut when he took office) is increasing police
benefits and giving the police better work hours in return.
Welcome to zero-tollerance (of bribes) in Mexico, via Mayor Eruviel Avila Villegas.
Cancun WTO war report: protesters and riot police clashed on the pristine white sand beaches of Cancun today, breaking through 8 foot high metal barricades, instead of ocean breezes the heavy choke of tear gas was in the air, as it was rocks and bottles vs. police batons! One Korean protester actually stabbed himself... because no police would??? it has been 4 years since the last meeting (Seattle) and those talks ended in a stalemate, will anything be accomplished here this time? Or will the rich countries "still" prevail and impoverish the smaller countries more?
More later........
Mon Sep 08, 02:17:57
PM
Mexico and US are
building a telescope inside the Sierra Negra volcano crater. The $100
Million dollar radio telescope is the biggest scientific project Mexico has
been involved in - ever. I wish they would put a little more money into their
archeological endeavors... so much culture and history (ruins) gets paved over
here, because there isn't any money to excavate.
Other news: Protest groups are getting ready for the Cancun WTO summit, activists are going to try and shut down the talks. But the police are ready, it could end up like last year APEC meetings in Los Cabos where they shut the only street leading to town down and no protestors got in. Stay tuned for highlights as they occur... and I don't mean piddly stuff like ColdPlay's lead singer trying to be Bono and protest the plight of the Mexican farmer, Chris Martin.... go home! (por favor)
Sun Sep 07, 04:53:04
PM
Migrant Day..... in memory of all the migrant workers who have died trying
to cross the border into the US to work and help their families here in Mexico.
At the base of a bridge in Nuevo Loredo (across from Loredo, Texas), dozens
of white crosses were placed for all the deceased, unidentified immigrants.
R.I.P.
Thu Sep 04, 01:33:24
PM
WTO coming to Cancun...... the World Trade Organization meetings are
coming to Mexico next week, and unfortunately Mexico hasn't woken up! Factories
are closing, it is cheaper to produce in China (1/4 the cost) or even El Salvador
(20% cheaper) than here in Mexico, where labor and factories used to be king.
Now exports are flat, China (who is anti-America, anti-Microsoft
...okay one point for China) is selling 20% more goods to the US. Do we need
more US advisors here in Mexico to show them how to get back in the game? (I
hope not...) or just let the culture take over and wait for China or the US
to invade the country (which they are already doing), just like the Spanish
did way back when?
Tue Sep 02, 05:35:57
PM
New $$$ census, just in...... Mexican's sent more money back here to
Mexico (from the US) last year than all foreign investments for 2002... what
does that say about our tourism problem? Of course the official people will
tell you that there is no problem. Mexico just gets bad publicity, you know....
the Cancun dolphin fiasco, hundreds of unsolved murders, drug cartels ruling
the states, and now..... it looks like Mexico has agreed to allow France to
fly charters into Mexico that will be bound for Bagdad?!! But there are stipulations
asked for by the French (of course........), who doesn't ask for deals with
Mexico?
More later, I am sure.............
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