Travel Waring End of March

March 31, 2012

The United States Consulate General in Matamoros is warning U.S. citizens about recent security incidents and violence in Ciudad Victoria.

The consulate has seen an increase in reported gun battles, grenade attacks and car bombings.

The attacks have occurred near public buildings, including a city hall.

Injuries and deaths to people walking, police and members of the Transnational Criminal Organization are reported.

The consulate wants Americans especially to take extreme caution when traveling to this area.

They advise people who find themselves in a violent situation to lock themselves in a nearby building or to move behind a barrier, such as a wall.

They also suggest lying flat on the ground until the incident is over.

AARP Message Heart Symptoms

A Cheap Treatment That Cuts Cardiac Arrest By Half

Posted on 03/28/2012 by Candy Sagon // Personal Health and Well-being // 3 Comments

An inexpensive mixture of glucose, insulin and potassium given by paramedics to patients showing heart attack symptoms cut the rate of cardiac arrest in half and reduced the amount of damage to heart tissue, a new study has found.

Researchers at Tufts Medical Center said the study was the first to test the effectiveness of giving the simple treatment at the first signs of a threatening heart attack, rather than waiting for a diagnosis to be confirmed at the hospital, which can take hours.

“More people die of heart attacks outside the hospital than inside the hospital,” study author Harry Selker, M.D., of Tufts told Reuters. “We wanted to direct our attention to those patients.”

The study was presented this week at a meeting of the American College of Cardiology in Chicago. (For more news from the conference, see link below to story on bypass versus stents for clogged arteries.)

Selker and his colleagues trained paramedics to administer the treatment after an electrocardiograph determined the patient could be having an heart attack.

Although the injection did not stop the heart attack from occurring, patients who received the treatment were 50 percent less likely to go into full cardiac arrest, in which the heart suddenly stops beating, or to die, than those who received a placebo.

In addition, the treatment reduced the severity of damage to the heart tissue from the heart attack in the study’s 911 subjects. In those who received the glucose mixture, two percent of heart tissue was destroyed, compared with 10 percent in those who received a placebo.

Even more encouraging was that even if the heart attack symptoms turned out to be a false alarm — the case in 23 percent of the study’s patients — the treatment did not appear to have any harmful effect, researchers said. In other words, giving the treatment either helped or did no harm.

And it only cost about $50.

“We wanted to do something that is effective and can be used anywhere,” Selker said.

The study was funded by the National Institutes of Health.

In other health news:

In the bypass vs. stents debate, this round goes to bypass. In the see-sawing debate over which is better for restoring blood flow to the heart through a blocked artery, bypass surgery or the less invasive angioplasty (aka stents), new research says older people have somewhat better long-term survival odds with bypass. CNN reports that analysis of about 190,000 adults over age 65 found that survival rates were the same between the two procedures at the one-year mark, but 84 percent of bypass patients were still alive after four years, compared to 79 percent of patients who got stents.

Getting a doctor’s appointment tougher when you’re on Medicaid. Americans on Medicaid have a harder time getting a prompt doctor’s appointment, which may help explain why some end up going to the ER, a new study finds. Of the Medicaid patients who reported obstacles to getting prompt care, one-half to one-third had more than one ER trip in the past year, according to Reuters.

Any Questions Contact Your Doctor

Legal System in Mexico Changing

3/27/12

Mexico's legal system may soon be making a major change. Mexican Judicial Officers are seeking to modernize their Criminal Justice System from "guilty until proven innocent" to the American approach of "innocent until proven guilty."

The Mexican Criminal Justice System is based on civil law and the Napoleonic Code.

As it stands now, a criminal case is presented via written statements and depositions but there is no oral testimony.

Brownsville attorney Luis Saenz was invited to participate as an instructor on behalf of the United States Department of Justice to tutor them. He joined us live on Action 4 Sunrise to discuss the changes.

Los Algodones B.C., Mexico 2012

Los Algodones B.C., Mexico 2012 Dental Capital of the World
Where is That you ask?
Located about Eight Miles west of Yuma, Az. Off Inter-State Eight In California. At Exit 166; the Location of the “Q” Casino or know as The Quechan Casino, of the Ft. Yuma Quechan Indian Tribe. On Route # 186, aka: Los Algodones Rd. I-8 is approximately two miles North of The Mexican Border. The Sleepy Hollow RV Park and Indian Parking lot is adjacent to the Andrade Port of Entry Customs Border Patrol Facility. Easy walk across entry as the town is only feet inside the Mexico Border. Many Americans and Canadians Drive Across. Note: if you have a Rental Car, the Company may not allow you to take the Vehicle out of the Country. Park on the U.S. side.

It’s an Old Style Village With Modern Convenience. The Town is Approximately a Mile Square. Every thing is within walking distance. In town Paved Streets with Sidewalks. Out skirts are Dusty Streets of Yesteryear. The Village Hugs the Border with the main Shopping area covering First, Second and Third Streets. From the Border South Past “A” To “B” Streets. About four blocks in each direction. North to South and East to West.

The Business have wonderful Locations and State of the Art equipment. Couple of Nice Hotels with the “Q” just up the Road. And the city of Yuma near by. And Yes You Do Need a Passport.

Being a Border Town, English is not a Problem, majority of the Processionals, Assistants and Vendors have a good understanding of the English Language. If they have a communication Problem, help is only a few feet away.

The Business Section of Town is lined with a couple of Dozen Pharmacy’s, Over three hundred Dental Offices, and Street Vendors Hawking their wares.
Most of the Sales Barkers, Vendors, and even Medical Processionals, live out side the Town of 5,000 people. As the town full of Tourist is a little expensive for the Local workers, most of whom commute Six Days a week during the Tourist Season, from Communities Less than an Hour away.

During the Winter Peek Season, upwards of Ten Thousand Americans, Canadians and Foreign Nationals cross into Mexico to Visit each day and under go Medical or Dental Treatments.

The Prices are much lower than the Countries North of Mexico. Prices are very competitive. With quality work being performed for about thirty cents on the Dollar compared to north of the Border.

As in any area of the World or Community. One needs to be a Smart Shopper.
Be sure the location you choose is a Quality Business with University Trained Processionals.

Personally I shy away from the Office that tout they have the Best Dr. In the world. Who has Multiply locations. If I don’t see the Owner at that Facility or That Dr., being touted is not available to see me. I’m going to get someone who is not being touted. And that’s not what I want. If they have twenty workers in the office, only three may be assisting me, and I don’t want to pay the overhead for Seventeen people who don’t give me a Minuet or make me cover the expenses for their work area.. “That’s just me”.

Most Patients state the work they received was equal to services they have received in the past or even better, and defiantly at a reasonable price level.

As with any Medical Treatment Facility, it is extremely important for the Patient to list the Medical Condition, what Treatments and Conditions your being treated for or have been treated for. When logging in.

During the Summer Bargain Prices abound. (The Area Is Safe for your Visit).
Some Offices Close for Vacations during certain weeks, Some Street Vendors choose to relocate to the Water and Beach areas but the Town remains open and operational, with plenty of operations and staff to assist you..

Los Algodones wishes to Welcome You, and Make your stay as Comfortable as Possible..

Mar 24 Farewell Party

Mar 24 Farewell Party

The tourist-friendly village of Los Algodones, Baja Calif., will host a free party to wish the area's winter visitors a safe journey home – buen viaje or bon voyage – as the snowbird season winds down.
Presented by the Mexicali and Los Algodones Convention and Visitors Bureau and the professionals and merchants of Algodones, the party will be held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. (Arizona time) Saturday.
It will take place on A Avenue between Second and Third streets, just a short stroll from the international border crossing. Admission is free.
The gathering is held to promote the traditional hospitality of the town, along with its tourist and medical services, arts and crafts, commerce and recreational areas. It also is a way for the merchants and medical professionals in the border community to thank winter visitors for their business.
Food, drink and door prizes will be offered. Traditional Mexican entertainment will include folkloric dancers from Los Algodones High School; mariachi singers from San Luis Rio Colorado, Son.; Pasco the Mime; the Caachanillajazz; the Contratiempo Orchestra; jazz singer Chinto Mendoza; folkloric dancers from Cobach Plantel Morelos; and cheerleaders from Cecyte Los Algodones.
Los Algodones is located about seven miles west of Yuma. Take the Andrade (Route 186) exit from Interstate 8 and proceed about two miles south.
Motorists are advised that roadside parking is now prohibited along the roadway. Paved, lighted parking is available for a small charge in the Quechan Indian Tribe parking lot on the U.S. side of the port of entry.

Micro-wave Pop Corn Bags

Every day at 4 p.m., like clockwork, one of my co-workers makes a bag of microwave popcorn.

We all can hear it popping and then, of course, the fake-buttery aroma permeates the office, which invariably causes someone to ask — “Isn’t that stuff bad for you?”

Actually, it’s not popcorn, per se, that people should be worried about. It’s the microwave bag in which it cooks that many experts say is the problem.

Popcorn itself is healthy. It’s a whole-grain food, high in fiber and antioxidants and, if not doused in fat, a pretty low-cal snack.

The problem is the chemicals used in the lining of the bag, including perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA).

PFOA is also used to make Teflon and other stain- and stick-resistant materials, including pizza boxes. It’s part of a number of compounds that have caused liver, testicular and pancreatic cancer in animals. The chemicals may also be linked to infertility in women, according to a recent study at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Earlier this year, a study found that these chemicals may prevent childhood vaccinations from working properly. Children who had higher concentrations of the chemicals in their blood had a lower level of protection against some childhood diseases for which they had been vaccinated.

The chemicals in the bag lining get into our bloodstream because they vaporize and migrate into the popcorn during microwaving, said Olga Naidenko, a senior scientist for the Environmental Working Group. “They stay in your body for years and accumulate there,” she told Prevention magazine for an article titled, “7 Foods That Should Never Cross Your Lips.”

While scientific research has not established a link between microwave popcorn bags with PFOA and increases in cancer in humans, the chemical is so pervasive that it’s detectable in the blood of 95 percent of Americans.

Popcorn with artificial flavoring is also a concern. A few years ago, microwave popcorn was slammed for the use of diacetyl in its artificial butter flavor, which caused a rare type of lung disease among workers who inhaled it at microwave popcorn factories.

Most manufacturers have removed diaceytl from their products, but it’s been replaced with other kinds of butter flavoring that some government scientists say are just as bad as the original stuff.

Even the top lawyer for the flavoring industry has said that “these so-called substitutes are diacetyl.”

So what’s a popcorn lover to do?

Make your own microwave popcorn, says cookbook author and longtime food writer Mark Bittman.

Bittman first wrote “Microwave popcorn, minus the ripoff,” for the New York Times in 2008. His no-brainer idea to microwave kernels in a brown paper lunch bag was so popular, he did a repeat last year on his website.

Now, obviously, you can make popcorn the old-fashioned way, by popping it with some oil in a heavy, covered pot. Or you can use this clever stovetop gizmo with the wonderful name of Whirley Pop.

You can also find glass microwave popcorn poppers online or in some cookware stores, if you want to skip using dead-tree bags.

But if you’re at the office or lazy (like some of us), here are Bittman’s microwave popcorn instructions:

Mark Bittman’s Microwave Popcorn:

(Makes 2 to 4 servings). In a small glass container, or a brown paper lunch bag, combine 1⁄4 cup popping corn with 1⁄4 teaspoon salt and fold the top of the bag over a couple of times (some people tape it shut). Microwave on high for 2 to 3 minutes, until there are 4 or 5 seconds between pops. Open the bag or container carefully, because steam will have built up. Toss with your seasonings and a drizzle of butter or olive oil or serve as is.

You can add oil to the bag at the beginning if you like, but this will yield a slightly greasy bag (so — you use a bowl). And of course you can top the finished product with melted butter or any spice you want. This enables you to have microwaved popcorn but with your choice of popcorn and oil, and, if you were to make popcorn daily, to save hundreds of dollars a year. At every supermarket in the country, microwave popcorn sells for at least $4 a pound and usually closer to $6. Ordinary popcorn is about $1 a pound, or less; good organic popcorn is about $2 a pound.

Stop Animal Abuse

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) - A Southern California retiree charged with using a golf club to kill a Chihuahua has pleaded not guilty to felony animal cruelty.

Witnesses told investigators that 58-year-old to Larry Edward Jaurequi hit the dog as if driving a golf ball off a tee, sending the 6-pound animal through the air on Jan. 26 in the Riverside County community of Menifee.

The dog, named Lily, died of a lacerated liver and broken bones.

The Riverside Press-Enterprise says Jaurequi pleaded not guilty on Monday to animal cruelty with an enhancement alleging he used a deadly weapon. He could be sentenced to four years in prison if convicted.

Defense lawyer Paul Grech says Jaurequi has an unfortunate history with dogs, noting he was attacked by a dog years ago.