2013 Taxes may rise in the U.S.

celebrating a new year, yet there's a lot of uncertainty about the amount of taxes we'll pay in 2013.
Filers could see a considerable increase unless Congress and the president agree to extend tax cuts that are set to expire at the end of December. Experts say it's unlikely that lawmakers will let all the scheduled hikes take effect. Even so, you should expect some changes for next year.

• The personal exemption will increase, reportedly to $3,900, in 2013 from $3,800 this year.
• The maximum earnings subject to the Social Security tax will increase to $113,700 in 2013 from $110,100 in 2012.
• Contributions to defined contribution plans will climb to a maximum $23,000 — $17,500 in regular contributions, up from $17,000 in 2012, plus $5,500 in catch-up contributions for those 50-plus, same as in 2012.
• There will be a higher threshold on medical deductions, meaning it will be harder to qualify. You'll only be allowed to deduct medical expenses that exceed 10 percent of your adjusted gross income (up from 7.5 percent in 2012). However, if you are 65 or older, the threshold will remain at 7.5 percent. Beginning in 2017, everyone will be subject to the 10 percent limit.
• On a related note, the maximums on deductions for long-term care insurance premiums will rise. This is a tax break that many people don't know about. But if you're age 50 to 60, the maximum you'll be able to deduct will rise to $1,360 (up from $1,310 in 2012); age 61 to 70, the maximum will increase to $3,640 (from $3,500); after 70, the limit will climb to $4,550 (from $4,370).

"That extra couple of thousand dollars you pay for premiums could push you over the limit so you can deduct your medical expenses," says Gil Charney, principal tax researcher with the H&R Block Tax Institute.
• There will be a new 3.8 percent tax on investment income for upper-income filers, as a provision of the Affordable Care Act. If you're single and earning at least $200,000 or married, filing jointly, with an income of $250,000 or more, your unearned income (interest, dividends, annuities, investment gains and the like) will be subject to the 3.8 percent tax.
• The Medicare-funding Hospital Insurance Tax, currently at 1.45 percent, will increase by 0.9 percentage point for higher earners, another provision of health reform. The increase will apply only to income that's in excess of $200,000 for single taxpayers and $250,000 for those married and filing jointly.
• Flexible Spending Accounts will have federally required contribution caps for the first time in 2013. These pre-tax accounts, used to pay for family medical expenses, will have a $2,500 annual cap. (Though there were no federal caps previously, most employers had imposed a $5,000 cap).

Calexico Toy Run 12 01 12 0830 AM

1st Annual Poker Run & Toy Drive

The 1st Annual Poker Run & Toy Drive will be from noon to 9 p.m. (registration will be at 8:30 a.m.) Saturday, Dec. 1 at Rockwood Plaza, Fifth Street and Heber Avenue in Calexico. There will be music, food, vendors, bike show and competition. Bring a new unwrapped toy. For more information call Enrique at 760-595-1773 or Maritza at 760-791-0530. This event is sponsored by Southwest Border Bikers and Adrian C. Cordova Foundation.

Mexico and USA

The neighbor Americans believe they have to the south, and the Mexico that has developed over the last 20 years, are two different places. As Mexico's incoming president Enrique Peña Nieto meets with President Obama this week, the biggest challenge facing relations today may be our skewed perceptions.
In Americans' psyches, drugs dominate. When advertising firm GSD&M and Vianovo strategic consultants asked Americans to come up with three words that describe Mexico, nearly every other person answered "drugs," followed by "poor" and "unsafe." Other questions reveal Americans see Mexico as corrupt, unstable and violent, more problem than partner. Americans had more favorable views of Greece, El Salvador and Russia.
These perceptions reflect the Mexican reality that dominates headlines: soaring crime rates and gruesome murders in a war against drug traffickers. But this window into Mexico overlooks an economic transformation and deepening ties with the United States that reflect a dramatically different country.

Canada on the Rio Grande

In the past two decades, Mexico has become one of the most open and competitive economies in the world, with trade to GDP (a common measure of openness) reaching 63 percent, surpassing both the United States and China. This trade is dominated by manufactured goods (not commodities), leading to a stronger and more diverse economic base than many of its emerging economy competitors.
Though the poll found that over half of Americans still see Mexico as a developing country, it is now a middle-class nation. Over the last 15 years, Mexico's middle class has grown to encompass roughly half the population. These families own houses and cars, send their two children (on average) to the best schools they can afford and buy the newest products.
This transformed economy is also now profoundly integrated with the United States. A study by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that imports from Mexico are, on average, 40 percent "made in America," far more than the 4 percent in Chinese imports. This back-and-forth of parts and products across the U.S.-Mexico border through the expansion of North American supply chains has been good not just for Mexico but also for the United States, revitalizing companies and supporting the jobs of some 6 million U.S. workers.

Mexicans are us

With all the recent focus on illegal immigration, people forget that there is a lot more linking Americans and Mexicans. In addition to some 5 million legal Mexican immigrants, there are 30 million more Americans who claim Mexican heritage. The Latino political heft, pushing President Obama over the top in many swing states, is largely Mexican.
If there is a silver lining in the poll results, its skewed view stems from the fact Americans do not know much about their neighbor. And we know it. Just as many of us admit we don't know when asked questions about Mexico as venture a positive or negative opinion.
That acknowledgment from Americans provides an opportunity for newly elected and re-elected presidents, policymakers and businesses to fill that void with a fuller understanding of Mexican realities and the importance of our nations' growing together.
Shannon O'Neil is a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and author of the forthcoming "Two Nations Indivisible: Mexico, the United States,
and the Road Ahead."

New Mexican Oil Reserves Found Biggest in Ten Yrs

Mexico City: State-owned oil giant Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, said it found reserves of up to 500 million barrels of crude in southern Mexico, a discovery that President Felipe Calderon hailed as the "biggest find" of petroleum on land in the past decade.

H.R. Human Remains

Letter from an airline pilot:

He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. On this flight." (H.R. Stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked.

'Yes', she said.

'Is there an escort?' I asked.

'Yes, I've already assigned him a seat'.

'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said..

A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us.

'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia ,' he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words.

I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat.

We completed our pre-flight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', she said. She then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia .

The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when she asked me if there was anything I could do. 'I'm on it', I said. I told her that I would get back to her.

Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a
Secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me.

Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I
Saved the return message from the dispatcher and the following is the text:

'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft.
The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans.. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.'

I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.'

Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told
That all traffic was being held for us.

'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the co-pilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to
make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.'

I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.'

We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft.

When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was
clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane.

They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one.

Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier.

I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these USA, Canada, Australia New Zealand, England.
                                                  
Foot note:

I know everyone who has served their country who reads this will have tears in their eyes, including me.

Please offer a short prayer for our service men and women.

They die for me and mine and you and yours and deserve our honor and respect.

'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us..bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need.. In Jesus Name, Amen.'

Of all the gifts you could give a Marine, Soldier, Sailor, Airman, & others deployed in harm's way, prayer is the very best one.  

GOD BLESS YOU!!!       

3000 U.S. Troops Heading to Africa To Protect Oil

Army Times news service reported that the U.S. is expected to deploy more than 3,000 soldiers to Africa in 2013. They will be assigned to every part of the continent. Major General David R. Hogg mused: “As far as our mission goes, it’s uncharted territory.” But the presence of U.S. soldiers in Africa is nothing new, and even though Hogg is unwilling to admit it, the obvious mission is to lock down the entire continent.
The U.S. military has at least a dozen ongoing major operations in Africa that require hands-on involvement by U.S. troops. By ensuring that U.S. troops will be found in every corner of Africa, there will be little risk that any regions where U.S. interests are threatened will be left uncovered. For example, Mali has oil reserves and is strategically located, but it has been destabilized by a growing secessionist movement in the north. Conveniently, Mali has also been the site of a U.S. military exercise called “Atlas Accord 12” which provided training to Mali’s military in aerial delivery.
During this year, there have been other operations in other parts of the continent that were comparable in scale if not in substance.
*“Cutlass Express” was a U.S. naval exercise that focused on what is purported to be “piracy” in the Somali Basin region.
*“Africa Endeavor 2012” was based in Cameroon and involved coordination and training in military communications.
*“Obangame Express 2012” was a naval exercise designed to ensure a presence in the Gulf of Guinea, an area that is in the heart of West Africa’s oil operations.
*“Southern Accord 12” was based in Botswana and its objective was to establish a military working relationship between southern African military forces and the U.S.
*“Western Accord 2012” was an exercise in Senegal that involved every type of military operation from live fire exercises to intelligence gathering to combat marksmanship.
There have been a number of other comparable exercises with names like: “African Lion,” “Flintlock,” and “Phoenix Express.” In addition, U.S. National Guard units from around the country have been rotating in and out of countries that include, among others: South Africa, Morocco, Ghana, Tunisia, Nigeria and Liberia.

Ranbaxy recalls generic Lipitor doses

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Ranbaxy Pharmaceuticals Inc. has recalled dozens of lots of its generic version of cholesterol drug Lipitor because some may contain tiny glass particles, the latest in a string of manufacturing deficiencies that once led U.S. regulators to bar imports of the Indian company's medicines.
Ranbaxy, a subsidiary of Ranbaxy Laboratories Ltd., India's biggest drugmaker, is operating under increased scrutiny from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration because of quality lapses at multiple Ranbaxy factories over the past several years. The FDA also has alleged the company lied about test results for more than two dozen of its generic drugs several years ago.
On Friday, Ranbaxy posted a notice on its U.S. website, saying it's recalling 10-, 20- and 40-milligram doses of tablets of atorvastatin calcium. That's generic Lipitor, the cholesterol fighter that reigned for years as the world's top-selling drug.
The recall includes 41 lots of the drug, nearly all with 90 pills per bottle, but three lots contain 500 pills per bottle. It's unclear how many bottles are in each lot, but medicine batches typically contain many thousands of pills. The 80-milligram strength tablets are not affected.
Ranbaxy spokesman Chuck Caprariello did not answer questions or provide any additional information beyond the statement on the company's website.
"Ranbaxy is proactively recalling the drug product lots out of an abundance of caution," the website statement read. "This recall is being conducted with the full knowledge of the U.S. FDA."
The company also filed a two-sentence statement with the Bombay Stock Exchange stating Ranbaxy's investigation would be completed within two weeks, but that after that temporary disruption to the U.S. supply, the company expected to resume shipments here.
Patients who've filled a prescription can contact their pharmacy to determine whether it was made by Ranbaxy or another generic drugmaker and, if it's from Ranbaxy, whether it came from a recalled lot.
Ranbaxy's manufacturing deficiencies, dating to 2006, led to a lengthy investigation and sanctions by the FDA. During the probe, federal investigators found Ranbaxy didn't properly test the shelf life and other safety factors of its drugs and then lied about the results.
In mid-2008, the FDA barred Ranbaxy from shipping into the U.S more than 30 different drugs made at factories in India. Meanwhile, the U.S. Department of Justice demanded Ranbaxy turn over internal documents, alleging the company lied about ingredients and formulations of some medications.
In early 2009, the FDA said it would not consider any new applications from Ranbaxy to sell in the U.S. any products made at the troubled factories.
As FDA discussions with Ranbaxy continued, it appeared Ranbaxy would lose its shot at a revenue windfall when Lipitor's generic U.S. patent expired last Nov. 30. At the time, Lipitor brought in almost $8 billion a year in U.S. sales.
As often happens when patents first expire, for the first six months only one generic rival could compete with brand-name Lipitor. Ranbaxy had that right, although an authorized generic from Lipitor maker Pfizer Inc. and partner Watson Pharmaceuticals Inc. went on sale on Dec. 1. With competition so limited, the generic prices only declined a bit from brand-name drug's price of about $115 a month — until several other generics entered the market six months later.
The FDA finally ended the suspense, deciding just before midnight on Nov. 30 to let Ranbaxy sell generic Lipitor made at the company's Ohm Laboratories factory in central New Jersey. It was unclear Friday whether the recalled Ranbaxy pills were made there or elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Ranbaxy is operating under a settlement with the FDA, called a consent decree, signed on Dec. 20, 2011. It requires Ranbaxy to improve manufacturing procedures, ensure data on its products is accurate and undergo extra oversight and review by an independent third party for five years. Ranbaxy at the time set aside $500 million to cover potential criminal and civil liability stemming from the Justice Department investigation.

Buttercup Dunes-

Buttercup Dunes--The U.S. Bureau of Land Management has their hands full this weekend making sure dune enthusiasts are safe while enjoying the great outdoors.
BLM park rangers stress the importance of being properly strapped in with a seat belt both on and off the road because it could help save your life.
They also said duner's should pay very close attention to shifting sands.
"Sometimes they're quite steep..cliff like and so the dune just drops off," Joya Szalwinski, BLM interpretive ranger said. "Going over that too fast, that can result in serious injury."
Officials take safety very seriously at all the Imperial Valley Sand Dunes.
Szalwinski said they expect about 150,000 visitors this holiday weekend.
She said over the last five years, accidents have been cut in half.
"We attribute this to aggressive safety campaign that we put out annually," she said. "We do a lot of visitor contacts going camp to camp and enforcement efforts to keep people safe while recreating."
New safety laws will also go into effect next year.
Starting January 1st, California law will require anybody in a recreational off-road vehicle to use a seat belt and helmet. The driver has to be at least 16 years of age.
"If they are younger and they're learning how to drive it, there's has to be an adult supervising them," she said. "They have to be sitting right next to them. They can't be following along on a quad or another vehicle."
Szalwinski said the Buttercup Ranger Station will offer ATV certification classes Saturday, November 24th and Sunday, November 25th at 9 a.m.
All ages are welcome to attend.

Mexican Cherry Tomatoes recalled

A Mission-based produce shipper is recalling more than 800 cartons of cherry tomatoes imported from Mexico folllowing a salmonella scare. Inspectors with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) detected the bacteria in a shipment of cherry tomatoes sent from Rio Queen Citrus in Mission. According to and FDA recall warning, the tomatoes were imported from Mexico and packaged in "Karol" brand boxes. The 840 cartons all say "Distributed by Interstate Fruit & Vegetable Co" and sold in stores in Texas and South Carolina starting back on November 10th. A source of the bacteria has not been found but distribution of the tomatoes has been suspended while FDA and company officials continue their investigation. Salmonella can cause fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. Children, the elderly, the frail and those with weak immune systems are the most vulnerable. Consumers who have purchased Mexican cherry tomatoes are asked to contact their retail store or place of purchase to determine if they were among the facilities to receive this product. Anyone with questions may contact Rio Queen Citrus at (956) 205-7400, Monday-Friday, 8:00 am to 4:00 pm (Central Standard Time).

Question Mexico Name Change

MEXICO CITY — Mexican President Felipe Calderon, whose six-year term comes to an end next week, said he’s sending Congress a constitutional amendment to change the nation’s name to one that reminds people less of the United States.

Calderon proposed shortening the official name to Mexico from the United Mexican States during a speech Thursday in Mexico City. The decision in 1824 to adopt its current name was based on the example of the United States of America, and the name is outdated because it’s used only for formal occasions, he said. The name Mexico comes from the Nahuatl indigenous term for the heartland of the Aztec Empire of the 15th and 16th centuries that once included the nation’s present-day capital.

“The current name of our country is the result of a historical moment,” Calderon said in a speech at the presidential residence of Los Pinos. “It was a product of circumstance that no longer exists. Mexico doesn’t need a name that emulates another country and that none of us use on a daily basis.”

Calderon’s National Action Party is set to leave power after 12 years following its loss to Enrique Pena Nieto’s Institutional Revolutionary Party in a July 1 election. While Calderon has worked with the U.S. on initiatives from trade to security, his relationship with Washington at times has been strained.

Last year, Calderon criticized then-U.S. ambassador Carlos Pascual for complaining about Mexican security forces in a secret cable divulged by the WikiLeaks website. Calderon’s rebuke came after Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, in September 2010, said that rising drug violence in Mexico was beginning to resemble Colombia 20 years ago.

Pascual resigned in March 2011 and was replaced by Anthony Wayne, whose previous posting was in Afghanistan.

Calderon renewed his criticism of the U.S. in August 2011 after 52 people were killed in an arson attack on a casino in Monterrey allegedly perpetrated by members of the Zetas drug gang.

“I earnestly ask you to end once and for all the criminal sales of assault weapons to the criminals that operate in Mexico,” Calderon said in a speech following the attack.

In past years, Mexico has raised concerns that companies drilling on the U.S. side of the Gulf near Mexico’s border may extract oil that belongs to Mexico.

Guillermo Marquez Reyes, DDS

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Mexicali Cab Stoppage over Security issues

MEXICALI- Mexican taxi cab drivers are protesting as a way to pressure their government to do something about the growing violence against them.

Dozens of cab drivers blocked the West Port of Entry in Mexicali.

The protest started around 7 Wednesday morning causing a closure to the port.

It ended just after 11 when they came to an agreement with the governor.

The taxi drivers are requesting more security because they've been victims of kidnappings, assaults, and homicides recently.

A meeting is scheduled with the drivers and governor.

Five Free Things to do in Mexico, City

For many foreigners, Mexico City invokes images of urban chaos, choking air pollution and pervasive street crime. And it can be an intimidating place for tourists, with maddeningly heavy traffic, a confusing public transportation system and neighborhoods cut off from each other by multi-lane highways plowed through the center of the city.
But the capital has changed radically in recent years, and almost entirely for the better. Street crime and air pollution are down and the city's central neighborhoods and parks are bustling, offering visitors days, even weeks, worth of sightseeing and attractions, much of it free.
This time of year, Mexico City also makes a good jumping-off destination for travelers heading to sunny beaches for winter getaways.
THE ZOCALO
The Zocalo was the center of the Aztec island empire that became Mexico City after the Spanish conquest, and it remains the heart of the capital. The massive open plaza is bounded by Mexico City's main cathedral, along with the National Palace, which houses some federal government offices, and the ruins of the Templo Mayor, which was the central temple of the ancient Aztecs. Entrance to the cathedral and part of the National Palace are free, and the Zocalo itself is filled with open-air entertainment, with street vendors, painted Aztec dancers, traditional healers and the occasional political demonstration all competing for attention. Much of the surrounding historic center has been renovated and rehabilitated in recent years, with good window-shopping, architectural sightseeing and cafes offering a break from the clamor of the Zocalo.
SOUMAYA MUSEUM
Another Mexico City can be seen in the ritzy Polanco neighborhood, home to gleaming office towers, high-end restaurants and luxury boutiques. On the northern edge of the neighborhood, billionaire Carlos Slim has erected the mirrored, mushroom-shaped Soumaya museum, home to six floors of Impressionists, Old Masters, Mexican muralists, anonymous Mesoamerican craftsmen and hundreds of other works. Open daily, 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
CHAPULTEPEC PARK
One of Mexico City's recent changes for the better is a growing system of bike and pedestrian trails. The longest, an old railroad track known as the Ferrocaril de Cuernavaca, stretches from the Soumaya Museum into Chapultepec Park, Mexico's Central Park. It's a long walk and stretches remain incomplete, but the energetic can make their way by foot into Chapultepec, a park divided between shady stretches of forest and more-developed plazas, fountains and sculpture gardens. On weekends, the northern end is crammed with vendors, entertainers and families out for the day. If you're lucky, you'll see a special patrol of Mexico City policemen mounted on horseback, wearing broad sombreros and toting revolvers. Open daylight hours, every day except Monday.
COYOACAN
A former village south of central Mexico City, this charming neighborhood of cobblestone streets, brightly painted colonial houses and tree-shaded plazas was home to Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera and hundreds of other artists over the decades. Easily reachable by public transport, including the Viveros stop on the green No. 3 line (a ticket costs 20 cents), Coyoacan offers hours of walking and drifting in and out of art galleries and craft stores. Its central square, the Plaza Hidalgo, is packed on weekends but still well worth a stop. Throughout Coyoacan are kiosks offering free bicycle rentals; just leave an ID as a deposit.
VIVEROS DE COYOACAN
Less developed than Chapultepec Park, Viveros is a combination tree nursery and public park, with a popular jogging track around its edge. Cool and lushly green, it's a great place to stroll, look at beds of trees and flowers and people-watch. The eastern edge of the park features an open-air gym and boxing area, with people sparring and performing feats of strength like climbing ropes and lifting cement blocks. Open daily 6 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Up Dated Mexico Travel Warnings 112112

No Problems Noted in Los Algodones B.C., Mexico
2:58PM EST November 21. 2012 - The U.S. State Department has updated its February 2012 travel warning to Mexico, making few essential changes but in an extremely detailed rundown getting even more specific about what to worry about where.
The good news for tourists is that, as in the past warning, most popular areas (including Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Mexico City, Los Cabos, Riviera Nayarit, Puerto Vallerta, San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Merida, Chichen Itza, Huatulco and Oaxaca) are exempted. Caution is urged at certain places or times outside the tourist zones of Acapulco and Mazatlan, as well as in Cuernavaca. You can read the text of the travel warning on the State Department website. It says it is designed to "consolidate and update information about the security situation." And it places additional restrictions on where government employees can go.
Peter Velasco, a State Department press officer, tells USA TODAY that the warning was updated because of the department's "no double standard policy," meaning that citizens should get the same updated travel info given government employees. "Obviously, Mexico is a big country," he adds, and "we're trying to make the information as accurate and balanced" and updated as possible.
The state-by-state summary opens with a calming statement that "millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day. The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations, and there is no evidence that Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) have targeted U.S. visitors and residents based on their nationality. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes."
However, it says the criminal groups are battling with each other and the government and "crime and violence are serious problems throughout the country and can occur anywhere. U.S. citizens have fallen victim to TCO activity, including homicide, gun battles, kidnapping, carjacking and highway robbery." It adds that "the number of U.S. citizens reported to the Department of State as murdered under all circumstances in Mexico was 113 in 2011 and 32 in the first six months of 2012."
It recommends driving only if necessary, during daylight hours and to use toll roads when possible.
Some cautionary highlights:
    Be careful in border cities such as Tijuana and Mexicali, especially at night.
    Defer non-essential travel to the state of Chihuahua, including Ciudad Juarez and the Copper Canyon area.
    Don't travel unnecessarily to Monterrey and its state of Nuevo Leon, where violence and gun battles occur and U.S. citizens have been murdered.
    Mazatlan is exempt from the travel warning for its state, Sinaloa, but the State Department advises Americans to "exercise caution particularly late at night and in the early morning. One of Mexico's most powerful TCOs is based in the state of Sinaloa. ... We recommend that any other travel in Mazatlan be limited to Zona Dorada and the historic town center, as well as direct routes to/from these locations and the airport."
    The Nuevo Laredo area has seen armed robberies and carjackings, and a U.S. family was forced off the road after crossing the border from Texas in August, resulting in injuries and a death.
    Guerrero, which includes Acapulco, Ixtapa and Zihuatanejo, is a trouble spot. In those cities, "you should exercise caution and stay within tourist areas. You should also exercise caution and travel only during daylight hours on highway 95D (cuota/toll road) between Mexico City and Acapulco and highway 200 between Acapulco and Zihuatanejo/Ixtapa. In Acapulco, defer non-essential travel to areas further than 2 blocks inland of the Costera Miguel Aleman Boulevard, which parallels the popular beach areas. In general, the popular tourist area of Diamante, just south of the city, has been less affected by violence."
    In Cuernavaca, "numerous incidents of narcotics-related violence have also occurred in the city ... a popular destination for U.S. students," the warning says
    Caution is advised in the state of Veracruz

Mexico hosts hot air balloon fest

A hot air balloons is getting readied for liftoff. It's among dozens taking part in the 11th annual Leon International Balloon Festival in Guanajuato, Mexico. Started in 2002 with just 27 balloons, the festival has grown to become the biggest in Latin America, drawing pilots from 14 different countries last year. Peter Pierre, from the United States, says it's his 10th visit. SOUNDBITE: Hot Air Balloon Pilot from Fresno, California, Peter Pierre, saying (English) "The people have been great, we are very happy to come down and fly. As you can see the beautiful sky with all of the balloons, it's always real good flying here, we really enjoy it." Besides pilots, the festival also attracts thousands of spectators. SOUNDBITE: Visitor From Mexico City, Jacqueline Gutierrez, saying (Spanish) "The balloons are varied, very colorful, unique to each company and the idea is good." A sky filled with dozens of balloons, butterflies and even Elvis is without a doubt a beautiful sight. But perhaps the best view is reserved for the pilots who soar high above Leon's Metropolitan Ecological Park.

Water Sharing update USA and Mexico

The United States and Mexico agreed Tuesday to new rules on sharing water from the Colorado River, capping a five-year effort on how to spread the pain of drought and reap the benefits of wet years.
The far-reaching agreement gives Mexico badly needed water storage capacity in Lake Mead, which stretches across Nevada and Arizona.
Mexico will forfeit some of its share of the river during shortages, bringing itself in line with western U.S. states that already have agreed how much they will surrender when waters recede. Mexico also will capture some surpluses when waters rise.
Also under the plan, water agencies in California, Arizona and Nevada will buy water from Mexico, which will use some of the money to upgrade its canals and other infrastructure.
The agreement, coming in the final days of the administration of Mexican President Felipe Calderon, is a major amendment to a 1944 treaty considered sacred by many south of the border. The treaty grants Mexico 1.5 million acre-feet of river water each year — enough to supply about 3 million homes — making it the lifeblood of Tijuana and other cities in northwest Mexico.
The pact represents a major departure from years of hard feelings in Mexico about how the U.S. manages the 1,450-mile river, which runs from the Rocky Mountains to Mexico. In 2001, U.S. states established rules on how to divide surpluses but set aside nothing for Mexico. Several years later, the U.S. government lined a border canal in California with concrete to prevent water from seeping through the dirt into Mexican farms.
"We have chosen collaboration over conflict, we have chosen cooperation and consensus over discord," said U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, who called the new pact the most important international accord on the Colorado River since the 1944 treaty.
Mexico will begin to surrender some of its Colorado River allotment when the elevation in Lake Mead drops to 1,075 feet and begin to reap surpluses when it rises to 1,145 feet. Mexico will be allowed to store up to 250,000 acre-feet of water in the reservoir and draw on nearly all of those reserves whenever needed.
The agreement expires in five years and is being billed as a trial run, potentially making it more palatable in Mexico.
"These are big political steps for Mexico to take," said Jeffrey Kightlinger, general manager of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California, which will buy some of Mexico's water. "Chances are we won't have a surplus and we won't have a shortage but, if we do, we'll have the guidelines in place on how we're going to handle it."
In 2007, facing an eight-year drought, California, Arizona and Nevada agreed on how much each state should sacrifice during shortages on the river. That same year, the U.S. and Mexico promised to work on ways to jointly address shortages.
The negotiations gained a sense of urgency for Mexico in 2010 after a magnitude-7.2 earthquake damaged canals and other infrastructure, forcing it to store water temporarily in Lake Mead.
"No matter how sacred the treaty is, and it is, the evidence is overwhelming that you have to adjust it," said Carlos de la Parra, who advised the Mexican government on the agreement.
Los Angeles-based Metropolitan and two other agencies — the Southern Nevada Water Authority and the Central Arizona Water Conservation District — will buy water from Mexico as part of $21 million in payments from the U.S. to Mexico that also call for wetland preservation and other environmental measures south of the border.
California's largely agricultural Imperial Irrigation District, the largest single recipient of Colorado River water, refused to sign the agreement because it felt it should have been allowed to buy some of the water from Mexico. U.S. officials said they hoped to address those concerns.
"This is such a historic arrangement that I think, at the end of the day, it's going to be difficult for Imperial not to sign on," Salazar said.
The river is also a major source of water for Colorado, New Mexico, Utah and Wyoming.

53,273 illegal immigrants approved so far

Tens of thousands of young illegal immigrants are taking advantage of President Barack Obama's offer to let them stay and work in the United States.
The government said Friday it has approved 53,273 applications under the program that began in August to waive deportations of qualifying illegal immigrants who came into the country as children. Altogether, more than 300,000 have applied; requests have been coming in at a rate of 4,827 a day. Most are still under review. Obama announced in June that he would delay deportation of many illegal immigrants under the temporary program. An overhaul of immigration laws is high on his second-term agenda.
Mexico is the main country of origin for the program's applicants. California is their top state of residence, then Texas and New York.

Mexico has opened up a massive new museum in Cancun just in time for the world to end on Dec. 21, 2012 -- that is, if you believe in some of the more radical interpretations of the Maya calendar.
Six years in the making, the massive Museo Maya de Cancun is the largest structure built by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) since the Templo Mayor Museum in 1987. It boasts three exhibition halls of more than 4,400 square feet, as well as two permanent and one temporary venue for international exhibitions.

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INAH/Museo Maya de Cancun
Cancun's new Maya Museum.

Inside, visitors first encounter 14,000-year-old skeletal remains discovered in the last 12 years in Tulum’s underwater caves, which offer important clues to the arrival of mankind on the American continent. Beyond that, they’ll find more than 350 archeological artifacts, including relics that have never before been shown to the public and others discovered in recent excavations. The remainder of the items on display throughout the museum were culled from different venues like the Museo Regional de Yucatan or “Canton Palace” and the former Archeological Museum of Cancun.
Some 70 percent of the estimated $15 million project came from the federal government through the INAH. Designed by Mexican architect Alberto Garcia Lascurain and built on an area of over 55,000 square feet, it sits next to the recently opened San Miguelito archeological site, which was inhabited over 800 years ago until the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors.

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Cancun, which recently underwent a $71 million makeover, is the most popular tourism destination in Latin America, attracting more than 12 million annual foreign and local visitors. Mexico’s tourism board, however, wants to attract even more visitors to the nation, particularly those who seek not just sun and sand, but culture.
The Mexican government expects that the museum will attract about a million guests each year and form one of the pillars of the nation’s new push to become a top destination for the type of people who generally have more money and stay longer than the average beachgoer.
Mexico, whose travel and tourism industry now constitutes 13.2 percent of the country's GDP, set aside $10 million for the Mundo Maya 2012 initiative last summer, and it invited four neighboring countries with historic Maya ties -- Belize, El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala -- to collaborate. The campaign revolves around the end of the Maya calendar on Dec. 21, 2012, and the beginning of a new era, and it includes aggressive infrastructure investment in roads and facilities to improve access to archeological sites and develop projects like the Maya Museum.
Beyond the money and attention, what Mexico really hopes to get out of the Year of the Maya is a little respect. Sure, the government acknowledges that just 40,000 of its estimated 200,000 archeological sites are properly registered. Sure, just 200 of those are open to the public. But the more Mexico can diversify its tourism offerings away from the beach and into the interior, its tourism board argues, the more it can protect its heritage, draw international crowds from beyond North America and ultimately prosper.
“One of the beauties of tourism is that it spreads social wealth,” Rodolfo López Negrete Coppel, COO and undersecretary of the Mexico Tourism Board, told IBTimes in September. “It reaches the farthest corners of the country, reaches deep in the jungles and to the little villages.”
The Mundo Maya campaign, he said, is like a rallying cry: We’re not just America’s playground south of the border. We’re not just sun, sand and too many tequila shots. We’re a nation with a cultural wealth on par with China or Egypt.
That, he said, was Mexico’s plan for the new era. The new Maya Museum in Cancun is just the beginning.

North America's 1st Black President?

T the first black president in North America was Vicente Guerrero, the second president of the Republic of Mexico in 1829 and was has been immortalized for abolishing slavery in Mexico. 54 years before Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.Guerrero was born in 1783 in a town near Acapulco called Tixtla, which is now located in the state that bears his name. It is the only state named after a former Mexican head of state, and it is the location of the Costa Chica, the traditional home of the Afro-Mexican community in Mexico.
Guerrero joined the fight for Mexico's independence from Spain in 1810, under the leadership of another black man, also a mulatto, General José María Morelos y Pavon, a Catholic priest who played the dominant leadership role in the war until he was killed in combat in 1815. Morelos, like Guerrero, is one of Mexico's greatest heroes. (His face graces the 50 peso bill, and a Mexican state is also named for him.) Within a year of Morelos' death, Guerrero became general of the rebels, fighting guerrilla skirmishes until Mexico was granted its independence in 1821.
Theodore G. Vincent, Guerrero was of mixed African, Spanish and Native American ancestry, and his African ancestry most probably derived from his father, Juan Pedro, whose profession "was in the almost entirely Afro-Mexican profession of mule driver." Some scholars speculate that his paternal grandfather was either a slave, or a descendant of African slaves.
Guerrero ran twice for president, once in 1824 and again in 1828, both times unsuccessfully. Claiming foul play, Guerrero and his supporters rebelled, toppled the new government, and Guerrero became president on April 1, 1829.
On September 16, 1829 -- Mexico's Independence Day -- Guerrero abolished slavery throughout the country, which has led many historians to refer to him as the "Abraham Lincoln of Mexico," though Lincoln more properly should be referred to as "the Vicente Guerrero of the United States." (And this action, by the way, was part of the reason that Texans fought to secede from Mexico a few years later, in 1836; remember the Alamo? Guerrero suffered for his actions: Three months after abolishing slavery, he was driven out of office. Two years later, Guerrero joined the rebel forces fighting against the new government. Betrayed by one of his friends, he was executed in January 1831.

Jean-Jacques Dessalines, who became the first governor-general of the Independent Republic of Haiti in 1804 Caribbean wa .

Haiti has had two Henri Christophe and Alexandre Pétion were presidents of the divided republic of Haiti: Christophe in the north in 1806, Pétion in the south in 1807.)

Night of the Stars Mexico

Thousands of Mexicans were taking part Saturday in the 4th “Night of the Stars” being held at a number of sites around the country under the guidance of astronomers who will share their knowledge about the different celestial phenomena.
In Mexico City, residents were invited to take part at the capital’s huge Zocalo plaza and at the Luis Enrique Erro Planetarium of the National Polytechnic Institute, or IPN, where countless telescopes have been installed so they can find and identify stars, planets and galaxies.
The organizers said on their Web site that the program of activities, which began Saturday at noon and was to end Saturday night, includes workshops, conferences and exploring outer space through telescopes.
They said that stargazers can bring their own telescopes if they wish.
“Night of the Stars” began in 2009 in Mexico with the aid of France and has attracted a total of more than 500,000 people to its three previous presentations, which were served by some 15,000 volunteers and provided the public with the use of more than 3,000 telescopes.
According to the organizers, the purpose is to get people familiar with observing the heavens and in that way make science a more deeply rooted part of Mexican culture.
During “Night of the Stars,” participants will be able to increase their knowledge astronomically from the conferences “Astronomers and their Discoveries” with Ana Maria Hidalgo, “Evolution of the Galaxies: Where do they come from and where are they going?” by Isaura Fuentes Carrera, “Traveling to the Frontiers of the Universe” by Hector Osvaldo Castañeda, “Mayan Year” with Ignacio Vega, and “The Mythology of Astronomy through Time” by Wilder Chicana Nuncebay.

Mexican Black, or Black Gold (Not Oil - Coal).

Mexican business people moved into a new field, a coal field that is. The new wealth for an old product.

Mining is big business you can be a broker buy and sell without being in the business directly. A rich coal  area lays along the US border where you can produce or buy from small mine operators, then resell to a state-owned company at  a profit.

Along the way, besides the earth's black bounty, the new legal business people reaping credibility as now legitimate business people.

Mexican Mining Association says Mexico produces 15 million tonnes of coal a year, worth $3.8 billion. About 95 percent of it comes from Coahuila State.

The new investors reportedly produce or buy 10,000 tonnes of coal a week. Selling it at a profit, that might dou ble their investment.

Business diversification into the local economy  is a natural evolution.

Mexican Musume Openig for the End of the World

Okay I understand the end of the world is 12 21 12  but I would still like to visit the new Museum in Cancun!

So why is Museo Maya de Cancun is the largest structure built by the National Institute of Anthropology and History (INAH) Opening. Last major opening was twenty five years ago, since the Templo Mayor Museum in 1987.   It has three exhibition halls with 4,400 square feet, and two permanent, one temporary  international exhibition venues.

On display Human remains from 14 thousand years ago from Tulum' s underwater caves. Items never before displayed to the Public.

Special items from Regional Yucatan Museum or Canton Palace.

Items from INAH, San Miguelto Archaeological site. 

This is just a part of Mexico’s tourism board, to attract more visitors to the nation, particularly those from other parts of the world whom appreciate culture. Attendance is estimated to by more than a million people per year.

 Tourism is approximately 13 percent of the the Gross Domestic Product. Mexico has more than on fifth of a million (200,000) Archeological sites of importance. Many have not received the proper attention needed, and have not even been viewed by visitors.

The major Maya World spred over Five Countries  Belize, El Salvador, Guatemala Honduras and Mexico and surely a few traveled further in North America?

 

Good Ad for a concert

 Bad Fans of Mexican rock group Molotov Band, made ​​a bad decision in wanting to have a poster of his favorite band and not wanting to buy it and half are antisocial, took a tarp advertising without permission, but had no music lovers that municipal agents swath to live and fished.

These four young men, including two minors, those involved in the theft of advertising a group of "rock" to be presented shortly in the city, being as the three in the afternoon when they did head in Carpenters Avenue South and roadway Justo Sierra, Colonia Bureaucrats, when officers managed to catch with the corpus delicti two aged 18 and two under 17.

The group of young people are accused of being responsible for stealing a canvas advertising a concert by rock group "Molotov", being identified by a witness who reported that he heard noises outside his establishment and go to check realized that the youth group was stealing the canvas.

The citizen reported the facts to the Municipal Police and preventive agents consummated ensuring youth.

Reporter Killed inPuebla State of Mexico

A freelance journalist and his companion were shot to death Wednesday in the central Mexican state of Puebla shortly after the reporter had gathered information on a large-scale gasoline theft and then witnessed a stand-off between soldiers and gunmen, according to news reports and CPJ interviews.
"In many areas of Mexico, reporters put their lives at risk every time they go out on assignment. These brazen murders are yet another example of the violent and lawless conditions in which journalists work," Carlos Lauría, CPJ's senior program coordinator for the Americas, said from New York. "Mexican authorities must fully investigate these murders and bring those responsible to justice."
News reports and local journalists identified the slain journalist as Adrián Silva Moreno, who covered the local police beat for several small newspapers. Eloísa Rodríguez Zamora, a local radio reporter, said Silva had been covering an army investigation into the theft of gasoline from a government petroleum company in the town of Tehuacán. Theft of gasoline from government pipelines is common in the area, which is controlled by organized crime groups, according to local journalists.
After leaving the scene, Silva called Rodríguez to say he had seen an armed stand-off between soldiers at a nearby roadblock and gunmen in an SUV and a Ford Lobo pickup truck, she said. It was unclear if the confrontation was related to the gasoline theft. She said that Silva told her that he had found something very important at the scene of the theft but would explain later. Six minutes later, Rodríguez said, she heard from police reports that a man had been shot at that location.
Silva was shot as he sat in the driver's seat, local journalists told CPJ. His passenger, Misray López González, ran for a block but was also shot to death, the journalists said.
The motive for the killings was not immediately clear, although journalists speculated that it could have been because of Silva's reporting on the gasoline theft or because he could have identified the gunmen in the stand-off.
Local reporters told CPJ that the presence of organized crime groups has made journalists extremely cautious about what they cover, fearing retaliation if their coverage angers the criminals. They said that as far as they knew, Silva had not been threatened by organized crime groups. (Not near our area).

USCBP Sector Map

Mexico Labor work Reform Issues

Changes in Mexican Labor Laws Rules and Regulations

In the past No Health, No Social Security and No Housing little if any benefits.

Labor laws in the past made it near impossible to Fire or Layoff poor to no productivity labors.
So Free lance work has been plantyful in recent years.

Finding  a position with full benefits had been nearlly impossible.

Disputing terminations currently of employees take years to resolve in tribunals.
If they loose the employers must pay back wages accrued for the time of the delay if they lose.

The special plans employed and offered to get around the strict labor laws has left many without younger workers without benefits, the prohibition on part-time employment has hurt people looking for short hours and students trying to work after school.

The first week of  November 2012 The Mexican Congress may take the first step on the long road of leveling the Economy. Currently approximately one third of the population works under the table.

The government is looking at easing the legal back log effecting hiring and firing.
Remove or modify the Ban on part time work and workers.
Introduce probationary time frames and rules for new hires.
Place a lid on the amount that can be collected by workers in litigation over empolyment issues, giving them a need of urgency to limit the long delay currently in effect.
A company's ability to hire freelance workers (not so much like Seasonal worker’s in the fields)

Labor reforms give hope to and promotes incorporation of informal jobs into the formal sector.
Social security to workers and their families," assist the Citizens and may even encourage working at home rather than leaving to work elsewhere..

 No changes were noted effecting audits of union financial records or union members from viewing the contents of union work agreements.

Some voice concerns key backers of (PRI) Institutional Revolutionary Party with active Union personnel in it ranks and delegations.

Other plans and modications are being considered.

Transparency of the Union is a concern.

While all the items and answers are not known, it’s a Step. People are communicating!

Mexico may get a Homeland Security Operation

Pena Nieto is trying to send a message with proposed changes for Federal Police Leadership.
During the last six years the Calderon Program and enforcement did not work.
The Enforcemnt Arm needs be under one Leader, such as the U.S. Homeland Security is.
A Mexican Homeland Domestic Security agency.

Pena Nieto has made a presentation to the congressional leaders of his party, the Institutional Revolutionary Party, so legislation can be introduced in order to implement the changes he feels is needed.
 He had hoped the outline of his  proposal would be approved before his administration's first days, but his party does not have a majority in Congress to get things rolling.
Mexico's president-elect Enrique Pena Nieto  wants to improve the scandal ridden federal police by putting them under control of a department responsible for all domestic security. It's not to create a new organization scheme to improve internal security ... and with that restore peace and tranquility for all Mexicans."

At present the Federal police are a free-standing Public Security Department. The Federal Chief, is Genaro Garcia Luna, whose loyalties may be with the out going President.
Enrique Pena Nieto, takes office Dec. 1, wants all federal agents to be under the control of  the Interior Department, a change that requires action by Congress.
The federal police force, which has grown nearly six fold  from 6,00 to 35,000during the administration of Calderon  seen as one of major tools along with the army and navy fighting organized crime, terror and drug problems.

The present Administration has claims the federal police Growth as the flagship of the war on drug cartels.

Recent months, Problems at the Airport, the Attack on CIA agents,  Charges against Senior Military Personnel. The Current program has not been as successful as planned.

broken immigration system

Gov. Jan Brewer says she's leery of post-election talk about a possible compromise on illegal immigration that'd include securing the border and providing legal status to immigrants in the country illegally.
Brewer says in statement issued Friday that she recalls the 1986 compromise that provided legal status to millions while making unkept promises to secure the border.
Brewer says the first step now still needs to be securing the border.
She says once that's done, the next step can be to jointly pursue ways to fix what she calls the "broken immigration system." She says that could be done in a way that's effective, practical and humane.
Brewer didn't specifically refer to any individual's statements, but U.S. House Speaker John Boehner earlier Friday said it's time to change U.S. immigration policies. Boehner called on President Barack Obama to take the lead in coming up with a plan to address the estimated 11 million people living in the country illegally.

Missing Persons Postings a Good Idea

No longer just on Milk cartons.
CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — A border state in northern Mexico has launched a campaign it hopes will be more effective than photos on milk cartons to help find missing women and children: It's using advertisements on tortilla wrappers.
At least three dozen tortilla shops have joined in the Chihuahua state campaign to print appeals for help on the thin paper wrappers that shopkeepers use to wrap up a pound or two of hot tortillas at a time.
"The disappearances in Juarez have to disappear," the ads read. They are accompanied by photos of "disappeared" people: a woman's bodiless clothing walks down a street appearing to hold a shopping bag; a little girl's shoes and socks stand on a curbside.
The wrappers include a phone number for reporting disappearances or sightings of missing people.
The campaign started this week, and has been welcomed by shopkeepers and customers in the violence-wracked border city of Ciudad Juarez, which is across from El Paso, Texas.
"The truth is a lot of people don't know about the missing young women - we are always the last to find out - so I think the governor had a good idea when he started this campaign to help families find missing people," said the owner of a Ciudad Juarez tortilla shop who did not want her identity revealed for fear of retaliation or extortion from the city's gangs.
Ciudad Juarez was hit by a series of eerily similar kidnap-killings of more than 100 mainly young women beginning in 1993. While those cases have tapered off, killings and disappearances continue.
A customer at the tortilla shop, who also didn't want her identity revealed, said the campaign could help.
"A lot of people don't have any way to watch TV or read the newspapers, they don't see the news, so this way they would at least know who to call or what to do in the case of a disappearance," she said.
Silvia Najera, spokeswoman for the Chihuahua state special prosecutor's office for crimes against women, said a total of 341 women had been officially reported missing since 1995. Of those, 316 have been found either dead or alive, while 25 cases remain open.
Women's rights activist Vicky Caraveo said she believes the women's killings of the 1990s and early 2000s haven't ended. Carveo said women matching the same profile of those earlier victims continue to disappear.

Read more here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2012/11/13/2765809/mexico-state-uses-tortilla-wrapper.html#storylink=rss#storylink=cpy

Yuma Blues Festival Nov 17, 2012

Yuma-area residents are invited to the inaugural Blues, Bikes and Barbecue Festival to raise funds for Crossroads Mission. The festival, which is free to the public, is from 1 to 5 p.m. Nov. 17 at Bobby's Territorial Harley-Davidson, 2550 E. Gila Ridge Road. Three bands — The Gruuve Masters, The Waters Band, and Tommy and the Drifters — are scheduled to play throughout the event.
There will be “music nonstop, barbecue ribs and chicken plates,” said Lonnie Meade, a member of Tommy and the Drifters, and an event organizer.

The barbecue plates are $6 each. The plates will be served by volunteers with Crossroads Mission.
All proceeds from the barbecue will be given to Crossroads Mission, a nonprofit organization offering individualized programs leading to stable employment and independent living for the chemically dependent, the underprivileged and the homeless of Yuma County and surrounding areas.
While the event is free, organizers encourage attendees to donate nonperishable food items which will be given to the mission. Those who donate food will automatically be entered into a contest to win a free trip to Las Vegas, or their choice of several other destinations.
“A can of peas might win you a trip to Vegas,” Meade said.
Meade will also provide free blues harmonica lessons to anyone interested during the festival while not on stage performing with his band.
Event organizers felt it was important to help Crossroads Mission in advance of the oncoming holidays, a time of year when the nonprofit is heavily burdened by providing for the needs of the underprivileged, Meade said.
The festival “is timed really well because it is right before Thanksgiving. We have the advantage of the weather and the folks that come with it, including bikers and motorcycle enthusiasts, and out of town blues enthusiasts.”
May be a little cool so dress for the occasion!

The Real Mexico outside the Tourist Locations

rural Mexico reminds one of a slower simpler time.
Do you realize most border town workers don't live there. It's a tourist area and they can't afford that. They Commute daily.
 
Los Algodones is at the far North East End of Baja Ca, State. Where Ca. and Az., meet. And only a short drive to Sonora State, Mexico. On that drive you see the Water ways, Sand Dunes, Farm lands, Date Farms, Shanties and Beautiful homes, all mixed together. With all classes of peoples mixing together.
 
Its  natural beauty, the  tourists are not often in this area of Mexico, or are just passing through.
And watch for local gardens at every residence. Corn,  cabbage,carrots, onions (both kinds),  tomatoes vegetables and plants of all kinds, and the date, fig and fruit trees  often seen along the road, ,  Plus the farm animals.

Out back well yes, a fifty mile bus trip might take Six hours to make the round trip. they go where the people go, and it's not in a strait line, and it might require a few transfers and waits for those transfers to make it.

And if lucky enough to have a permit to cross into the U.S. for Christmas items, they just maay face a three hour line on foot or vehicle to enter the U.S., due to the Tourist entering and leaving Mexico. Some of these are called snow birds. Annually visiting for twenty-five years or more. 

Driving, use your lights your seat-belts, not your horn, yield the right of way to all. Check all directions before changing landes or turning and remember some are going twice as fast as you are.  Things  may change fast.

Paved and unpaved does not seam to make much of a difference. And just outside of the Border Towns they roads are full of slow moving agricultural equipment. Remember Los Algodones is  named for the Cottons. And Cotton is planted all over on both sides of the border.

 Out side of the towns, you won't find a large Store, just little Mom and Pop type operations. They are more of a convenience than a profit making enterprise.

If you want to post a letter, you may want to hang on to it and post it in the U.S. for a better chance of it arriving on time or even arriving.

Here Dr 's in the Small towns are a real treat. Most work at Major Hospitals in the big Cities or Towns and open their offices at or near home during  the afternoon or evening hours. Good quality service at a fair price. Federal law requires that you have a prescription to obtain antibiotics and the like. The Dr will write the Rx., and most Pharmacies have a Dr., in house or near by to speed things up.

Nogales Port Meth seized

U.S. Customs and Border Protection seized more than 24 pounds of methamphetamine and 13 pounds of heroin at the Nogales Ports of Entry.
The drugs are estimated to be worth almost $560,000.
The first detection of drugs was made at Dennis DeConcini Port when a CBP canine alerted officers of the presence of drugs.  Officers referred Luz Aidee Cubedo Figueroa, 37, of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico, for additional questioning. The vehicle she was driving was searched when she attempted to enter the United States.
Officers found 12 packages of crystal meth weighing more than 19 pounds.

The second incident occurred at the Mariposa Port where officers referred Hector Octavio Hernandez-Mazon, 25, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, for inspection when he attempted to enter the U.S.
Drugs in Hernandez-Mazon's vehicle were also detected by a CBP canine.  Officers found 13 packages of methamphetamine and heroin within the middle seat of the truck. The packages contained less than five pounds of meth and 13 pounds of heroin.
Both Figueroa and Hernandez-Mazon were turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations.