Candidates on Immigration

Check out Julia Preston's latest article on the candidate's changing lines. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/us/politics/29immig.html?_r=1&ref=politics&oref=slogin

Here are two choice paragraphs:

Because of persisting political rifts and a crush of priorities related to reviving the economy and unwinding the Iraq war, advisers to the campaigns say it is increasingly unlikely that either candidate would propose to Congress an overhaul of the immigration system during the first year in office, something both Mr. McCain and Mr. Obama had pledged to do.

The McCain campaign is hoping that his differences with the Republican Party will help to reinforce his image as a maverick, especially among Hispanic voters. One of his television advertisements in Spanish shows Mr. McCain speaking of illegal immigrants as “God’s children,” as Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado, the Republicans’ most outspoken foe of illegal immigrants, looks on, scowling.

New Stats

From the AP:

"Immigrants are sending less money home. Remittances by Mexicans living in the United States registered their biggest drop in August since record-keeping began 12 years ago. Mexico's central bank said they fell 12 percent from August 2007."

Impatience

In a recent article "Flood of absentees may delay election night results" by Ed Fletcher and Robert Lewis, I read the following:

The trend toward voting by mail suits Californians' busy lifestyles, allowing them to work through long, complicated ballots on their own time. But absentee voting could result in delayed results, particularly in tight races, elections experts say.

....

"People want resolution. They don't want to hear that there are a million votes still to be counted," said Mark Baldassare, president and chief executive officer of the Public Policy Institute of California.

------------------------------------

I have two questions.

One, is that true? People want resolution. People who have been following this political dynamics of an election can't wait a week for a thorough counting of votes? I certainly could.

Two, if people are anxious to know...who cares? What damage is done to anyone other than a little stress if they know the results Nov. 4 or Nov. 11?

Pause

Sorry about the pause...having switched to the visa section things have been more hectic than expected, yeah unbelievable interview quotas!

On the other hand, after tomorrow's July 4 celebration at the ambassador's residence, a marvelous vacation in Central America awaits.

Oh...and did you happen to see the images of McCain's recent visit to Mexico? There was a rather unflattering photo making the rounds...the ambassador looked great but the McCains didn't look their best. Was this photo chosen for some political purpose? You decide.

A Sour Smell

Robyn Hudson, a researcher at Mexico’s National Autonomous University in Mexico City and her team found that residents of the capital were less able to detect common odors like coffee and orange juice than those in a nearby town with low air pollution. Their noses are so badly damaged from a life inhaling toxic particles that they also find it harder to detect the scent of rotten food, said researcher Robyn Hudson, who ran the study.

Tighter Visa Policy

Starting in 2009, DHS will require travelers to the U.S. from countries whose citizens aren't required to obtain visas to register three days before their arrival.

The registration will be valid for two years. The program include a number of European countries, Singapore, Japan and Australia.

I Should Be Singing

The State Department has decided to recognize me for tenure. Woohoo! If I had not been recommended for tenure earlier than Nov. 3, 2008, I would have lost my security clearance, and my job. Some officers have appealed their not being recommended for tenure and have found themselves sitting in a nonclassified Washington office waiting for a panel to review their case.

Fantastic news!

Wow!

This is an amazing article. I don't agree with everything, in either the assessments or the proposed solutions, but I do agree with some of the points. What I appreciate about this article is that someone with experience and credibility wrote the study.

No Coyote Needed
U.S. Visas Still an Easy Ticket in Developing Countries

http://www.cis.org/articles/2008/back208.html

Egyptians Sue

Sixteen centuries ago, Egyptian representatives appeared before Alexander the Great's court. The wanted Jews to pay restitution for all the Egyptian gold and silver they took along with them during the Exodus. Whether they believed the story to be true was irrelevant.

Pesisa's son Geviha requested permission to present a defense on behalf of the Jews.He asked for evidence Jews absconded with their wealth.

The Egyptians response: "The crime is clearly recorded in your Torah."

"In that case," Geviha said, "the Torah also says that 600,000 Jews were unjustly enslaved by the Egyptians for many, many years. So first let us calculate how much you owe us."

Egyptian representatives had three days to prepare their response. The declined the opportunity and fled on the 25th of Nissan and never mad ethe argument again.

In Talmudic times, Jews celebrated the day when the Egyptian delegation fled as a (minor) holiday.

Mexico City Becomes a City

On April 25, 1528, King Charles V of Spain declared Gran Tenochtitlan to be a city. We now call the location Mexico City.

Lighter penalties for illegal immigrants

Mexico's Senate voted unanimously to remove criminal penalties for undocumented migrants. Some argued they did this because U.S. citizens often argue that Mexico has much harsher penalties for illegal aliens than other country in the Americas, and thus seem hypocritical when they argue the United States should be easier on their illegal aliens.

Ricky Martin. Defiende mojados

A recent article in Excelsior has a titled that roughly translates as Ricky Martin Defends Wetbacks.

End of an Era

The leftist protest against the oil bill finally ended. The government resumes in their official chambers once again.

Great weather

The rains have come, started their daily arrival sharply at 3, and they have been accompanied by reports of governmental attempts to improve the drainage system of the city -- no small feat.

Sweet 15

Mexico City hosted a large, free celebration in their main plaza for the quinceañera of hundreds of girls. The idea is to give a party for those that cannot afford the ritual that can now cost thousands of dollars, due to societal pressure. Similiar to Bar Mitzvahs, these birthday parties have become more and more extravagant and pricey.

Her Own Mistress

Thandie Newton is going to play Condoleeza Rice in an upcoming move. She once play Thomas Jefferson's lover. This means she will have played the Secretary of State and a Secretary of State's mistress.

Condoleeza Rice said she would prefer to be played by Halle Berry.

Another Sit-in

20 Legislators from the Broad Progressive Front (FAP), consisting of members of the PRD, the Worker’s Party (PT), and Convergentes, took over the Chambers of Deputies and Senators to demand a national debate on energy reform

Peso Explodes

From Reuters

MEXICO CITY – Mexico's peso rose sharply to a two-year high Monday as investors anticipated that the country's central bank will hold interest rates steady at its monthly policy meeting on Friday. Stocks edged down.
The peso firmed 0.47 percent to 10.487 per dollar at the official central bank close, boosted by expectations that the spread between U.S. and Mexican yields will widen further, making peso assets more attractive.

Tío Taco

Slang for a U.S. citizen of Mexcan descent who has internalized the United States perspective. Also called a Mexican Gringo.

Danger

U.S. State Department officials have issued a travel alert prompted by drug violence in the north of Mexico,

warning that victims have included foreign visitors and residents.

$2.58 Billion

That's the amount the Chicago Tribune is reporting Mexicans paid in bribes last year. When even my orthodox friends feel compelled to pay bribes to crooked cops, you know something has gone wrong.

Elvira continues

Elvira Arellano, the illegal alien who was deported with much publicity, is helping to organize May 1 protests in the United States. I was reading a description of her efforts and was intrigued by an article's description of her agenda as "Movement Mesoamerican Reform."

"Migrant reform," "immigration reform" and "comprehensive immigration reform" have all become synonymous in the many journalistic venues for "pro-pathway to citizenship reform" or "amnesty," and some journalists even use these terms in a way that would indicate the audience should assume that a menaingless, open-ended term like "immigration reform" merits such a definition.

Need a Job?

From the Washington Post

MEXICO CITY -- Drug cartels are using classified job ads to lure young Mexicans near the U.S. border into unknowingly working as drug couriers, law enforcement officials said Thursday.

Absolut ad

Did you see the Absolut advertisement with the Meixcan borders from the early 1800s?

"In no way was it meant to offend or disparage, nor does it advocate an altering of borders, nor does it lend support to any anti-American sentiment, nor does it reflect immigration issues," Absolut now says in its consumer inquiry phone line.

So what was Absolut thinking? According to other statements, the company designed the ad for a Mexican audience, recalling a time "the population of Mexico might feel was more ideal."

The Return

I recently returned from an extended rest in clean California (well, compared to Mexico City that is.) I came back to meet with several representatives from the eDiplomacy movement, who have been attempting to promote blogs and our e-presence.

My favorite comment -- the State Department is considering changing the name of its blog Dipnote, because dip has other connotations outside of our world.

I am a bit of a zombie today. I went to an orthodox Jewish wedding today and I'm ready for some deep sleep tonight.

Principal Sees Injustice, and Picks a Fight With It

A recent March 12 New York Times article shows some balance (other than the title). I am accustomed to such a general pro-illegal alien bias, I was pleasantly surprised.

This is the most interesting quote of the piece:

"In my heart of hearts," [Principal] Watterson said, "I thought, 'Honestly, people can't vote for something that would hurt kids who are taking college classes.' I thought they just didn't understand. Honest to God, that’s what I thought. But the overwhelming reply was, 'That’s exactly what we intended.'"

----------------------------------------------------

Principal Sees Injustice, and Picks a Fight With It

By SAMUEL G. FREEDMAN

March 12, 2008

PHOENIX — One morning last August, Yvonne Watterson, the principal of GateWay Early College High School here, sat in her office, grimly scrolling through the database of its 240 students.

At the behest of a new state law she detested, she looked for which ones listed a Social Security number and which did not. Without a number, it was virtually certain that a child was in America illegally.

Ms. Watterson wound up with 38 names, many of them of boys and girls she had personally recruited to the school. Under the statute popularly known as Proposition 300, illegal immigrants could not receive in-state tuition at public colleges and universities in Arizona. Nor could school administrators like Ms. Watterson use state money to pay it.

GateWay’s students, while still in high school, are able to take courses at a community college in the same building, with in-state tuition paid by the high school. Ms. Watterson knew her students could not afford to pay the out-of-state rate, generally $280 a credit. And without the college classes, there would be less reason to stay in school.

So she made the list and sent letters home and began to call in the affected students one by one to tell them that their tuition was no longer subsidized. A girl named Karla crumpled to her knees in the principal’s office, and said, “But I’m a good person.” A few weeks later, Ms. Watterson heard, Karla was riding a bus back to Mexico.

Yvonne Watterson vowed to do something so she would not lose any more of her students. She made the vow because of what happened every July 12 back in Antrim, Northern Ireland, her hometown.

On that night, the local Protestants celebrated their forebears’ victory over a Catholic army three centuries earlier in the Battle of the Boyne. Even in the Arizona desert, Ms. Watterson remembered the sound of Loyalist anthems and the smell of burning tires and the sight of the pope being burned in effigy. Though she was a Protestant, even as a child she had always cringed imagining how July 12 felt to her Roman Catholic playmates up the block.

“I thought, ‘Here we go again, segregating kids, putting kids on a list,’ ” Ms. Watterson, 44, said recently in her office at GateWay. “It’s that hatred. It’s that separation. Not having to look someone in the eye. It’s a horrible, cowardly — I don’t know what to call it. I wouldn’t have believed I was in America.”

In her career as an educator, Ms. Watterson had been nothing if not decisive. When she became principal at GateWay in 2003, she threw out a progressive curriculum and replaced it with a traditional variety. She required all 10 teachers on the staff to reapply for their jobs and hired back just one. After visiting early-college high schools in New York City and Stockton, Calif., and seeing how well they served immigrant teenagers, she brought the model to GateWay.

So she went immediately into advocacy mode, giving an interview to The Arizona Republic, the daily newspaper in Phoenix. In the subsequent article, she was quoted describing the plight of her undocumented students and talking about her own experience as an immigrant after she came to America in the mid-1980s.

She mentioned Jose Razo, heading into his senior year, on track to accumulate more than 50 college credits in courses ranging from macroeconomics to video-game design. At home, he had a cologne box filled with certificates for the honor roll, perfect attendance, good citizenship. But he was not a citizen, and because of Proposition 300, he was already thinking about going to Mexico, a country he had left at age 2.

Ms. Watterson reaped the whirlwind of the blogosphere, as readers responded to The Republic’s article.

From Gilbert19: “These children are dishonest law-breakers; why do we want them going to our schools?”

From gbishop01: “You have totally destroyed your integrity.”

From AWhite: “All I have to say to these criminals is ‘DON’T LET THE DOOR HIT YOU ON THE WAY OUT’!!!!!”

The attacks attested to the vox populi. Proposition 300 had been approved with 71 percent of the vote. It won alongside three other ballot measures denying various rights to illegal immigrants and declaring English the official state language.

“In my heart of hearts,” Ms. Watterson said, “I thought, ‘Honestly, people can’t vote for something that would hurt kids who are taking college classes.’ I thought they just didn’t understand. Honest to God, that’s what I thought. But the overwhelming reply was, ‘That’s exactly what we intended.’ ”

Still, the response was not unanimous. A lawyer who doubled as a television host, José A. Cárdenas, called Ms. Watterson and arranged for Jose Razo to appear on his show.

About a week later, GateWay received an anonymous donation of $25,000 to help undocumented students pay their tuition. Mr. Cárdenas recommended that Ms. Watterson approach the Stardust Foundation in suburban Phoenix, and it gave $50,000.

Ultimately, Ms. Watterson received $83,000 from various donors. In January, she was named one of seven winners of a Phoenix-area award in memory of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. After having her students write autobiographical thank-you notes to donors, she had the letters collected and published as a bilingual book, “Documented Dreams.”

Still, this ending is not quite happy. The donations came in too late for the affected students to take their college classes in fall 2007.

About $27,000 of it went toward their tuition for the spring semester of 2008, and the rest will cover next fall’s needs. Beyond that, there is only uncertainty.

"I don’t wake up every day to steal purses," said Noemi Ariza, a 17-year-old student at GateWay. "I wake up to try my hardest to succeed. And for people to despise me, to tell me I have no right to be here, to look at me like a murderer — it’s so dehumanizing. All I’m trying to do is make something of myself."

Supreme Court Votes to Destroy 2006 Ballots

Supreme Court President Minister Ortiz voted "yes" to the Federal Electoral Institute's mandate to destroy the 2006 presidential election ballots. Destruction of the ballots had initally been delayed by the request of political magazine Proceso to have access to all the documents involved in the election process. The final argument was that the Federal Electoral Court already made a ruling on the validity of the 2006 election.
Failed 2006 presidential candidate Lopez Obrador does not recognize the result of the election and has always demanded a ballot per ballot recount.

Another Way of Looking at Anti-Semitism

From a recent AP article on a State Department report:

Unremitting criticism of Israel is mounting, the report said, and Israeli policy is sometimes likened to the Nazis. At the same time, the report to Congress said, there is a failure to pay attention to regimes guilty of grave violations.

This has the effect of reinforcing the notion that the Jewish state is one of the greatest sources of abuse of the rights of others "and thus, unintentionally or not, encourages anti-Semitism," the report said.

A New Cuba?

Mexico and Cuban normalize relations.

FLOTUS Visit

The first lady of the United States was here. We were extremely busy but all went well and Mrs. Bush advanced a cause that she travels the world to promote -- better health for women and breast cancer awareness.

Remarks by Ambassador Garza at the launch of the "Tómatelo a Pecho" ("Take it to heart") program of the Carso Institute
March 11, 2008

Good morning. I want to thank Marco Antonio Slim, Dr. Julio Frenk and Dr. Felicia Knaul for inviting Mariasun and myself today to the launch of this important project.

When Julio and Felicia came to see me about “Tómatelo a Pecho” (“Take it to heart”), I was struck by their experience and impressed by the commitment of the Carso Institute to this project.

Julio and Felicia shared with me the personal struggle they face, and also asked me to share a little today about my personal experiences with cancer.

I witnessed my mother’s and my sister’s courage when they learned they had cancer. From that experience, I learned that early detection is vital.

I am not an expert on breast cancer. I wish I knew how to cure it. But I am sure glad to see that experts are increasingly working together toward that goal: a cure. You’re already familiar with most of the statistics, but the one that hit me the hardest is this: in Mexico, only 5% of breast cancer cases are diagnosed in stages 0 and 1 – before they have spread throughout the body; and that 12 women die daily as a consequence of this disease, whereas in the United States, 50% of cases are diagnosed in the early stages.

A diagnosis of breast cancer does not mean that life is over. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer when I was 18 months old. She was lucky enough to detect it early, and she lived to enjoy a little over a decade with her three children.

I have vivid childhood memories of spending time in the hallways of the M.D. Anderson Center as my mother fought cancer. First a mastectomy, then a radical mastectomy, two years of dormancy, and then nearly 9 non-stop years of radiation and chemotherapy until she died in 1972. It would be easy to merely discuss her illness and treatment, but the things I remember about her aren’t focused solely around her fight with cancer.

I remember her grace, her energy and her zest for life during those 13 years. She went back to college, and took up painting. She talked about the Vietnam War and indulged what must have been her hippie spirit by letting me and my brother grow our hair long.

We spent hours at the library, which gave me a lifelong passion for reading. Everyday I carry with me her spirit and the lessons she taught me. By having her cancer diagnosed at an early stage, she was able to give us a great childhood…. That’s why I’ve said that my mother’s life had a far greater impact on me than her death. My one regret is that we didn’t talk about her disease.

In the ’60s and ’70s, people just didn’t know how to talk about it. It wasn’t until those last days when the doctor tries to give comfort to the family, by saying “we’ll do everything possible to keep her from suffering,” that my dad told us that she wanted to see us and took us to the hospital. It was then that my brother and I understood and felt the weight and seriousness of her illness.

A few days later we were swimming and playing at the neighbors’ much like any other day and my dad called us. When I walked into the living room and saw a priest sitting there – I knew my mother had died. At that age, it might have been easier if we’d talked about it before.

That was another lesson I learned: you have to talk about what’s going on. And while you may think you’re protecting your children by keeping things from them, you’re not, what you are really doing is confusing them and leaving them to wonder why.

My sister, DeAnna, was diagnosed with cancer in 1994. That year, she’d put off her checkup by a few months, which was rare for her. When she went in, the doctor found a tumor and put her in surgery what seemed like the next day. He told her that if she’d skipped her exam that year, it would have been too late.

Thankfully, DeAnna was diagnosed early, and she filled the next eight years with zest, enjoying everything that life provided her. During that time, she and her husband made several trips they had been planning for years, she saw her two daughters grow up and attend college, her son get married, and her daughter-in-law pregnant with what would have been her first grandchild. She saw the laying of the foundation of her dream house. She gave us eight more years of memories that live on in our hearts, and that we think about daily.

So I’ve seen cancer as a child and as a grown-up brother. As a brother, I was able to speak much more openly with DeAnna about her disease. But more important than the conversations between us were the conversations she and her husband were having with their children. They were open and honest with them throughout her illness. They made the most of the time they had and truly filled those eight years with life.

So you see, early detection is the difference between watching your children grow up and having life tragically cut short. It’s the difference between creating big and small memories, all of them meaningful, or leaving a void in which our loved ones can only wonder what might have been.

All of us here want the same thing. We want women to have more time to be with their families, time to create memories -- to fully live. The Carso Institute is about creating hope for each cancer patient, and their families, to not only defeat this terrible disease, but to detect it early enough to allow for successful treatment.

In the United States, because of early detection and improved treatment, the five-year survival rate for women who were diagnosed with early stage breast cancer is 98%, and there are nearly 2.5 million survivors of breast cancer living today. It’s time for these advances to be brought to women, not only in Mexico but everywhere. I’m sure that is one of the main goals of the Carso Institute.

In support of that effort, later this week, First Lady Laura Bush will be in Mexico City to formally launch the Mexico-United States Partnership for Breast Cancer Awareness and Research. Our goal is to partner alongside already strong efforts such as those being initiated by the Carso Institute. We are all focused on the same goal— to give more women more time to live.

I want to thank you for allowing me to join you today to share my story and would like to close as I always do, simply asking that God, now and forever, bless the United States and Mexico, and on this particular day, all women who face the challenge of dealing with cancer. Thank you very much.

Strong Opinions

Ana Maria Aragones wrote an op-ed with the following headline and subhead.

When Will the Hits Against Migrants to the United States Stop?

When Mexico's president defends them with the same commitment he uses to spport this dishonest politicans in his cabinet.

Prior to the weekend, employees were warned about the local Power Company Union (Luz y Fuerza del Centro), which is renegotiating their contract. They were possibly going to have a strike commencing at noon on Sunday March 16. Local residents were worried the power was going to be shut off.

No such luck.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

In Mexico, we celebrated the holiday with a day off to remember Benito Juarez.

Employees May Be Rewarded for Good Health

Rep. James P. Moran, Virginia Democrat, outlined a plan to give feds a cash payment at the time of retirement for unused sick leave.

Employees under the Civil Service Retirement System have that benefit, but the majority of feds, under the newer Federal Employees Retirement System, have only a use-it-or-lose-it option.

Mr. Moran's plan, outlined at the Federal Managers Association convention in Arlington, requires approval of Congress and the White House.

A Spanish Tale

From a colleague: An applicant was going through the line. I told him courteously in my Dominican Spanish; "Senor, ya puede ponerse su correa", which in English means "Sir, you can now put on your belt." The man looked at me awkwardly revealing his discomfort. Apparently, in Mexico, correa means dog leash.

A Startling Achievement

Approximately 90 percent of all cocaine consumed in the United States travels through Mexico.

Kahlo's Star Dims

I recently went to the famous blue house of Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. A recent Washington Post article has some great bits.

"Lots of artists that I've talked to say they've had enough of her: In light of current art, her painting can seem overwrought and underskilled, more fussy than profoundly complex."

"She constructs a vision of herself as a very idiosyncratic kind of a woman, immersed in her own homemade visions of femininity and Mexicanness and resistance to norms -- social, sexual, artistic and political."

"The weaknesses in Kahlo's paintings are irrelevant, so long as you think of those pictures as nothing more than documents or ephemera left over from the larger creative project of her life. We don't blame great dancers or architects -- or performance artists -- if there are flaws in the images and evidence that fill us in on their achievements."

Trials Go Live

Guillermo Ortiz Mayagoitia, president of the Supreme Court approved the live recording of trials for television broadcast. This is a first in Mexican history.

Jews Purchase Property

In 1658, 15 South American Jewish families of Sephardic lineage settled in Newport, Rhode Islan, and established a Jewish congregation, and used private homes to conduct services. The community purchased a parcel of land for a Jewish burial on Wednesday, February 28, 1677.

This was the first piece of land owned by a Jewish congregation in the colonies.

The Real Deal

The White House has confirmed Laura Bush is coming to Mexico City. We don’t have to use odd acronyms and nicknames during our planning meetings.

More clues...

Mexico’s police has linked last month’s bomb plot with Sinaloa state, and potentially a powerful drug cartel.

Budget Battles

The president has proposed a 2.9 percent raise for federal employees and a 3.4 percent raise for the military, even though Congress traditionally prefers parity in pay adjustments between civilian and military personnel.

Colleen Kelley, president of the National Treasury Employees Union, is fighting for a 3.9 percent pay increase. The NTEU is also lobbying for a full repeal of the Homeland Security Department's new personnel system.

Network thwarts enforcement

The Chicago Tribune reported a Reseda neighborhood watch have been protecting illegal aliens from ICE raids. Angelita Pascacio, an organizer of Madres Contra Redadas (Mothers Against Raids), described the surveillance by illegal aliens as increasingly more effective.

"When [pro-illegal-alien] crashed and burned, I think many communities throughout the country began to focus their attention more on protecting the limited rights that [illegal aliens] do have," said Peter Schey, president of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law, a non-profit legal foundation for illegal aliens.

Emissions Restricted

The NY Times reported Mexico's new ban of the import of any cars for personal or commercial purposes unless the car was manufactured in 1998 or earlier based on emissions risks.

Trying to Serve

A one-sided Washington Post article has insight into the hiring practices of the Foreign Service

To sum up the article: an applicant passed the rigorous foreign service exam but after informing officials he had obsessive compulsive disorder and takes a Paxil, the State Department decided not to hire him because they felt he would not be eligible to serve anywhere in the world. The applicant filed a discrimination complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission but lost when an EEOC administrative judge ruled the State Department had not violated the 1973 Rehabilitation Act "because the requirement for worldwide assignment was a lawful, job-related standard."

Happy birthday, Monte de Piedad

More than 130 years ago today, in 1775, first Count of Regla Pedro Romero de Terreros founds the "Monte de Piedad" or "National Pawn Shop" in Mexico City.

The store has three objectives:
1) provide personal credit to the poor through the public sector,
2) apply the profits to charitable works such as the poor and orphanages,
and
3) to help artisans and businessmen sell wares at low prices.

Mexico Erupts

Sixty-five years ago, Paricutín spewed in a farmer’s field in Michoacan. Within a few years, the volcano's lava would destroy Paricutin and San Juan Parangaricutirimícuaro.

A Cut Above

According to some religious traditions, Moses was circumcised today (according to the Jewish calendar). According to those who believe he was born on the 7th of Adar I, today would have been the 8th day of his life and thus the day a mohel removed his foreskin.

The text of the Tanakh does not actually make this claim, but extra rabbincial sources (considered sacred by various groups) do.

President's Day Weekend

Mexican news covered the fact that the U.S. Embassy was closed on President's Weekend. While living in the United States, I cannot remember ever seeing local television news announcing the closing of any embassy or consulate.

Afternoon Protest

A group voicing union related concerns (loudly but not as loudly as some recent rallies) from Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana marched from the Angel Monument past the U.S. Embassy to the Zocalo.

In a recent Miami Herald interview, former Mexican Foreign Minister Jorge Castañeda answered many questions. Two particular interesting bits:

Castañeda: There are not more people coming from Mexico than before; rather, it is that more people are staying in the United States, which gives the impression there are more, which is, I think, rather new.

Castañeda: I think [Mexico is] somewhat hypocritical in that we mistreat many Central American immigrants here. The difference is that most of the people who come to Mexico from Central and South America are on their way to the United States. They aren't here to find jobs. To a large extent, we are doing a little bit of the United States' dirty work for it. I don't agree with it, because I don't believe we should violate human rights in order to stop what the United States calls "OTM," or "other than Mexican," immigration. But unless it's part of an overall deal, as in comprehensive immigration reform, there's really no incentive to change. If there is an immigration agreement with Mexico, then there is incentive for Mexico to seal off its southern border in an honest, secure, humane way.

Assassinated President

Feb. 19, 1880, Álvaro Obregón is born in Navojoa, Sonora. He would become a distinguished soldier and president in 1920. Shortly after assuming the presidency for a second time, he is assassinated (July 28, 1928) in Mexico City.

Helping Hand

According to El Financiero, Mexican consulates located in the United States will now provide assistance to Ecuadorians who illegally enter the United States. The article describes the agreement as one of the first of its kind.

Inseguridad

Interest in violence probably due to recent increases in reported murder victims has prompted the newspaper Diario de Yucatan to create a site called Inseguridad.

Big Hug

In honor of Valentine's Day, Monterrey residents engaged in a world-record hug Feb. 15, with 8,402 children participating, breaking Chihuahua's record of (about) 6,000 children participating.

Mangalorean

Calderón's Visit

According to El Universal, out of 22 meetings Calderon conducted during his visit to the United States, 15 meetings were with individuals or groups that pursue the protection of human rights of and the expansion of protection and opportunities for illegal immigrants.

Did a TSA Officer Take Your Wallet?

Did you know the Transportation Security Administration has a blog? Although the blog elicits a variety of comments (including many complaints), some of the insights published at Evolution of Security might be worth your time. Recent posts include screening for people with hip replacements and officers who steal from passengers.

A Few More Breaths

The Mexican Senate pre-approved reforms to the Health and Tobacco Control Laws, which may result in a federal prohibition to smoke in public and closed areas. The new legislation calls for 100 percent smoke free areas in restaurants and cafeterias and establishes a new basis for the production, packing, labeling, marketing, distribution, and retailing of tobacco products.

As expected, large enterprises like Vips (the largest chain restaurant in Mexico) and El Palacio de Hierro (an elite department store) have already filed a petition to the Supreme Court to protect their commercial interests against the ban.

The government will present the reform next Thursday for a final vote. We'll see.

Monterrey Grows as a Destination Spot

Fromt the Houston Chrnocile: By PURVA PATEL

$280 means a ride, assistance and a visa
BROWNSVILLE — Amid the stream of Indians, Germans and other foreign workers passing through his border hometown needing help getting to the U.S. Consulate in Matamoros for work visas, Mark Lehmann saw a business opportunity in the making.
"Used to be just one or two people a week," Lehmann said. "Last month, we took 400."
Last year, the U.S. Consulate in Matamoros issued 18,000 work visas, compared with 8,300 in 2006.
Matamoros is becoming an increasingly popular destination for the growing number of foreign citizens who say it usually offers a quick, same-day process that lets them avoid the long trips to their home countries and the backlogs there.
Today, Lehmann runs one of two better-known businesses in the area that get temporary workers permission to be in Mexico, drive them across the border and walk them through the process with tips on almost everything but legal matters.
The firms are thriving on foreign workers who come to Mexico to get visa extensions, renewals or changes in status — such as students hired right out of college — that allow them to travel freely in and out of the U.S.
The numbers have been fueled in part by post-Sept. 11 security measures that ended a mail-in visa revalidation process for some workers. Today, all foreign workers must go to U.S. Consulates in Mexico, Canada or their home country.
"Before, people often went on their own," said Lehmann, 27, who was working at the front desk of a Best Western in Brownsville when he spotted the trend four years ago. "They'd have problems, and I'd see people crying outside the consulate, not knowing what to do."
Seeing the rising numbers, Lehmann borrowed his mother's car and began driving the guests himself, laying the groundwork for Mexico Assistance Services — his business that each month helps hundreds of temporary workers in the U.S., including many from Houston, get to the consulate for their visas.
Round-trip service
Lars Langkowski had five days left on his visa before he decided to head to Matamoros for his renewal.
He called Consular Trip Services, which averages about 16 trips a month with about 10 people per trip.
Langkowski, a 28-year-old German national working as a consultant at Accenture in Houston, has to travel in and out of the U.S. for work.
"So, my options were going to Germany, which is an expensive flight and not as flexible as driving. Canada was close, but, again, a flight — so not flexible. Mexico was closer," he said.
Consular Trip Services picked up him and others holding closely guarded papers and passports at 6:45 a.m. at a Days Inn.
The company then drove Langkowski across the border. An employee escorted him through immigration, stood in the security line with him outside the consulate and then waited for him at a convenience store around the corner. By 10:30 a.m., Langkowski and most of the other workers were headed back to the U.S. with their visas.
The price was $280. Of that, about $130 went toward the visa application fee.
"It would have been cheaper on my own, no question. But the price was OK," Langkowski said. "I wanted to play it safe."

Attorneys not allowed in
Brownsville cab drivers said a ride to the consulate in Matamoros would run about $45, more cost-effective for a group that wants to split the fare.
But the companies say their price includes services a taxi can't provide, such as Internet and fax in their shuttles in case someone is missing documents. They also try to help those whose visas are delayed or denied.
"I had a guy who had to wait in Mexico for six months for a security clearance," said Lehmann, who also charges $280 for individuals and averages about 30 people per trip. "So I helped him find a place to stay, get toothpaste and stuff and have his luggage forwarded to him, things like that."
The companies, however, don't offer any legal services.
Before these businesses appeared, some Houston attorneys would drive workers down themselves.
But in 2004, U.S. Consulates in Mexico stopped allowing attorneys inside with applicants.
"You just became a glorified taxi driver because you couldn't enter the building, so we decided, 'Forget that,' " said Adan Vega, an attorney in Houston. "Now, we'll just prepare them the best we can and show them what they need to do and screen them to make sure they'll qualify."
A few attorneys, however, continue to make the trip for an added fee that can run more than $1,000. Often, they contract Mexico Assistance Services or Consular Trip Services to take care of what used to be a tedious errand for them.
Though the attorneys can't go in to their client's interview, they can consult with the consulate should questions arise.
At the very least, having the attorneys with them offers a level of comfort to clients who depend on the visa to work in the country, said Gordon Quan, a partner at Quan, Burdette & Perez in Houston.
"I think you're always scared that you're going to get stuck in Mexico if you don't know where to go," Quan said. "We have sophisticated engineers and professionals who are scared to go there alone, too."

Overly popular
So far, both Consular Trip Services and Mexico Assistance Services have relied on word of mouth and their Web sites as their main marketing tools.
Both are owned and run by Brownsville college students, who are weary of the companies' popularity.
Manuel Ramirez, 26, the chief operating officer of Consular Trip Services, is often late or misses class if there are delays in Mexico or he's busy updating the company's Web site.
"We never imagined it would grow this big," Ramirez said.

Mexico City Bombing

Feb. 15, mid-afternoon an explosive device detonated in a vacant lot near the Mexico City Police (SSP-DF) headquarters (at the corner of Avenida de Chapultepec and Calle Monterrey). Details have filled newspapers for days (as they should).

A New York Times article has these two important paragraphs:

A bomb that exploded Friday near the Mexico City police headquarters was carried by an unidentified man wearing two layers of clothing, the police said Saturday. They said that the man died in the blast and that no evidence had yet been found linking him to a guerrilla group or a drug cartel.

Late Friday, the Federal attorney general 3/5minute 4/5s office issued a statement saying the bombing ''cannot be attributed to armed or subversive groups'' because the device bore none of the earmarks of those that subversive groups have planted on pipelines and in a Mexico City skyscraper in the past year.

Security Clearances

Bob Brewin recently wrote a length article concerning the security clearance process. "[Ben Romero, chairman of the Intelligence Committee of the Information Technology Association of America] told the [House Readiness Subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee] that the average processing time for Secret clearances averaged 200 days in 2007, and the average time for processing Top Secret clearances was 300 days last year."

Jack Edwards, the Government Accountability Office's acting director of Defense capabilities and management, said that "continuing delays in determining clearance eligibility can result in increased costs and risk to national security."

Kathy Dillaman, associate director of OPM's Federal Investigative Services division, talked to the panel about automated information tools which could enable OPM to process clearances in an end-to-end paperless system this year.

Check out the article for more details.

US Drops Ban on HIV - Positive Diplomats

A recent article by the Associated Press claims the State Department is changing current rules that automatically disqualify HIV-positive people from becoming U.S. diplomats. Many people are disqualified for all kinds of medical reasons since diplomats are supposed to be able to go anywhere, anytime regardless of local hospital or medical services.

According to the article, "The department removed HIV from a list of medical conditions that automatically prevent foreign service candidates from meeting an employment requirement that they be able to work anywhere in the world."

In addition, "Officials denied that the policy had ever intentionally discriminated against HIV-positive people and noted that the policy had applied only to incoming diplomats, not those who had contracted the virus or other diseases while in the foreign service."

San Luis Potosí

Just got back from a wonderful four-day trip in a delightful town that quickly charms as the town's historic center has sufficient attractions for anyone who enjoys discovery.

I went with an incredibly alluring traveling companion, a wonderful Mexican who has an abundant awareness of Sikh and indigenous cultures. Her vast insights into Mexican history and architecture seems to have no end.

A good sleep will be had tonight to be sure.

VP Rice?

Nicholas von Hoffman, of the Nation, had this to say about my boss:

Democrats who think it's going to be a cakewalk into the White House next November had best remember one name: Condoleezza Rice. John McCain is a formidable candidate in his own right, but if he has the political imagination to do it, he can cause the party of Jefferson and Jackson indescribable angst with Rice as his vice-presidential pick.

Besides being the greatest two-for in GOP history, Rice brings other huge pluses to the old admiral. Indeed, she may be enough to elect the venerable hero/naval aviator.

McCain's troubles with the religious wing of his party could well evaporate with the churchgoing Rice at his side. She solidifies that part of his base overnight.

With Rice on the ticket, the GOP would have somebody to get enthusiastic about. The secretary of state is immensely popular with Republicans. For a party that up to now has been clueless about how to run against either a woman or a person of color, Condoleezza Rice is pure political gold.

Woe to any Democrat who thinks taking her on in a debate is a sure thing. The woman is tough, fast on her feet and able to give better than she gets. Anyone who has seen her in action testifying in front of a hostile House or Senate committee knows that she will be able to wipe up the floor with a plodding, ordinary pol of a Democratic vice-presidential candidate. Take Rice lightly at your peril.

Famous Birthdays

Today in 1781, Valentín Gómez Farías was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco. He fought for independence and became president on five occasions. He would die in Mexico City July 5, 1858.

Taking an oath

In the 1660's, Barbados has a thriving Jewish community with members who couldn't testify in court because they were unwilling to take an oath ona Christian Bible. On Wednesday, February 14, 1674, five years after petitioning the king to make an exception for Jews, the country allowed the Jewish community to take an oath on a copy of the first five books of the Torah, Genesis through Deuteronomy.

Clinton Speaks to Supporters of Illegal Immigrants

Many U.S. citizens would like to see U.S. policies regarding illegal immigrants re-evaluated, although they disagree as to how. El Universal, a local newspaper, described a recent speech by Hillary Clinton and claimed her message targeted the concerns of U.S. Latinos, (and indicates that Latinos are preoccupied as a whole with providing more benefits and services to illegal immigrants, although the newspaper doesn't support this conclusion with factual data).

The article directly quotes Clinton as saying a "profound re-evaluation" is necessary but paraphrases her words to say that Hillary said the recent political discussion has created an anti-immigrant climate. Does anyone know if she actually used the term "anti-immigrant climate?"

Inauguration of New Consul General Provokes Protest

The visit of President Calderón and the inauguration of the new consul general in Los Angeles has provoked protest in Los Angeles by various groups of migrants and those that would like to see better treatment of illegal immigrants by the United States and better services at the region's Mexican consulate.

Energy Envoy

Here's a clip from a recent article written by AP reporter Matthew Lee.

"Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Wednesday she will appoint a special envoy for energy issues to deal with the use of oil and gas for political means, particularly in Central Asia."

"It is a really important part of diplomacy, in fact, I think I would go so far as to say that some of the politics of energy is warping diplomacy in certain parts of the world," Rice told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

"I do intend to appoint, and we are looking for, a special energy coordinator who could especially spend time on the Central Asian and Caspian region," she said. The envoy also would focus on increasing instability in world energy markets.

A Birthday Note

According to Chabad and other Jewish sects, Moses was born today 2368 years after the creation (1393 BCE) and died 1273 BCE.

Rough Greeting

Mexican protesters greeting President Calderon when he stopped by Chicago. They pleaded for him to fight for greater benefits for illegal immigrants and better service at the Mexican Consulates. They also reject privatization of Pemex (an oil enterprise owned by Mexico State). Many protesters indicated their support for Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador (the leftist candidate who barely lost the presidential election in 2006).

An Illegal Passport?

PRD Public Affairs Secretary Gerardo Fernandez Norona, claimed that the mother of the new Secretary of Government Juan Camilo Mourino may not have been born in Mexico and may have falsified her birth certificate. PRD National President Leonel Cota Montano wants Mexico's president to remove Mourino from his position.

Vacation Plans

Legislators from the Mexican Chamber of Deputies officially gave themselves 11 days of vacation during march's Semana Santa, or Holy Week.

State Department Opens New Exhibit, Disappoints Conspiracy Theorists

Even when I was in China, locals about me about secret societies, the Freemasons, and the Iluminati. Associated Press reporter Matthew Lee recently wrote about the symbols of the official seal of the United States including the eye, the pyramid, the Latin, the bald eagle clutching an olive branch and arrows, and the number 13.

He listed some of notable theories, including:

"_That the Seal proves the domination of the United States by a powerful, quasi-religious cult. The Ancient Scottish Rite of Freemasonry is a perennial favorite of conspiracy theorists as some Founding Fathers were Masons and the Seal uses several Masonic symbols.

_That the Seal draws on Satanism or polytheistic ritual to promote a universal new world order under which Earth would be ruled by a single omnipotent government.

_That repeated references to 13 - the number of steps in the unfinished pyramid, stars in the constellation over the eagle's head, arrows in the eagle's claw, stripes on the eagle's shield, letters in the phrase 'Annuit Coeptis' - demonstrate the power of 13 American families.

_That there are two seals: one in which the eagle's head faces the arrows for times of war and another in which the eagle's head faces the olive branch for times of peace."

The secretary of state is the seals custodian. Condoleezza Rice, the 66th, inaugurated a new exhibition at the State Department to commemorate its 225th birthday.

The revealed claims include:

"_That known Masons like the first U.S. president, George Washington, and Benjamin Franklin had no role in designing the final seal, which uses elements of traditional heraldry, such as the unfinished pyramid to symbolize a work in progress, arrows for war and an olive branch for peace. Masons share some of those symbols, but they have never been exclusively the domain of the order.

_That the phrase 'Novus Ordo Seculorum' below the Roman numerals for 1776 at the base of the pyramid translates as 'A New Order of the Ages' that began with independence and does not imply the United States will be the lynchpin of a sinister 'New World Order.'

_That the words 'Annuit Coeptis' ('Providence favors') and the eye of providence that hovers over the pyramid refer to unexpected interventions of fate that assisted the colonists in creating a new country.

_That the references to 13 refer to the number of colonies that formed the original United States."

Entry-level government employees not as young as you might think

From the Washington Post's Federal Diary:

People who take entry-level jobs are supposed to be young, inexperienced and just out of college.

But not in the government. The average age of new federal hires is 33.

That finding is in a report released by the Merit Systems Protection Board, which conducts studies of the civil service for the White House and Congress. The report, "Attracting the Next Generation," was prompted by concerns that Uncle Sam may not be able to compete for talent as baby boomers retire from government.

A spate of studies and polls have suggested that younger Americans are wary of working for the government and are turned off by its cumbersome hiring procedures, which can include filling out numerous employment forms and undergoing lengthy background investigations. Younger Americans often see nonprofit organizations and state and local governments as places where they can "make a difference," according to the studies.

The board's research found that the typical entry-level hire is surprisingly older than generally assumed, is highly motivated to land a federal job, and is interested in the same things that prior generations have valued: job stability, annual pay raises, vacation time and health insurance.

"The government is actually better at attracting new hires than some might think," the report concludes.

National workforce projections show that skilled employees, especially in the sciences and engineering, will be in high demand and short supply in coming years, and the Bush administration has urged agencies to prepare for a "war for talent," as it is called, with corporations, think tanks and other employers.

The merit board's findings should be encouraging to agencies, especially those that are ramping up recruitment efforts to fill the hundreds of thousands of jobs that will open in the next few years because of baby boomers' retirements.

Agencies can step up to the challenge, the report suggests, if they tout their job benefits while marketing themselves to the next generation of workers, if they make their hiring procedures as speedy as possible, and if they "avoid stereotyping applicants based on generational assumptions."

Part of the board's report is based on survey responses from 1,115 federal employees who were hired into full-time professional and administrative occupations in entry-level jobs, at General Schedule grades 5, 7 and 9. The survey was conducted from February to May 2006. Some of the findings were released by the board last year in agency newsletters.

In the survey, the board asked new hires, who earn from $26,000 to $52,000 in base pay, why they decided to work for the government.

The most important reason was job security. It was the top answer of 28 percent of the respondents, regardless of age.

That suggests that "the old employment contract is not yet dead," the report said, and runs counter to some research that shows that the young generation is no longer motivated by job security and the prospect of promotions up an organizational hierarchy.

Contrary to popular perceptions, many of the new employees had full-time work experience before joining the government. In the survey, 32 percent reported working for one to five years before accepting a federal job, and a surprising proportion -- 20 percent -- said they had more than 20 years of work experience beforehand.

That report said many new federal hires are starting a second career with the government, hoping to supplement their private-sector retirement with federal benefits.

The new federal employees signaled strong interest in the benefits that come with a government job. The majority said yearly salary increases, vacation time, health insurance, 401(k)-type retirement savings plans and fixed pensions were important when considering job offers.

When comparing responses of those under 30 to those of workers older than 30, the board found that there was little difference between the two groups and that some traditional benefits, such as annual pay raises and health insurance, were more important to the younger new hires.

The merit board's report also noted that if federal employees do not resign in their first year or two of employment, they usually stick with the government.

"So once federal employees get in the door -- regardless of generation -- the government may likely retain them through their career," the report said.

Mexican Tourists

Although Mexicans have a generally poor image in the United States in terms of visa violations, according to some estimates, more than 13 million Mexicans living in Mexico have valid visas and could travel to the United States at any time.

Possibilities

Admidst the coverage of the polemics of Mexico's President Felipe Calderón's tour of the United States and the analysis of how, when, and whether he uses the terms migrants, legal, or illegal, the Christian Science Monitor gave attention to the following quote made by the president while speaking at Harvard University, where he received his master's degree.

"It's possible to transform mexico from a nation that loses its best people to migration into a nation capable of generating opportunity for mexicans on their own soil."

Democrats Abroad

As far as I can tell, there is no such thing as Republicans Abroad. However, 22 of the DNC delegates are part of a group called Democrats Abroad — essentially U.S. citizens who are regsitered Democrats and live in foreign countries. Fourteen delegates are selected by the actual vote and 8 are assigned by the DNC. This odd assigning of delegates has become more controversial now that everyone is paying attention to delegates thanks to the tight race between Clinton and Obama.

I was neither a potential member for Republicans abroad nor Democrats abroad (nor Libertarians abroad or Greens abroad, for that matter) but registered as a mail-in voter. Unfortunately, my ballot got to me on the Wednesday before the election. I mailed the form on Thursday and have no idea whether the appropriate California address received my vote on time.

A number of potential voters showed up to the doors of the Embassy hoping to vote. Surprisingly, many U.S. citizens still (1) don't realize they can't vote at an embassy or consulate, which is not completely shocking, and (2) don't realize they have to register prior to election day, which, considering this has been the case for my entire lifetime for almost every state, territory, etc., is shocking.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Obama won the Democrats Abroad contest.

Picking a president

You might want to know how the presidential candidates could affect the Foreign Service, at least from a management perspective.

Donald F. Kettl, a University of Pennsylvania professor, said none of the candidates have sent clear signals about what he or she would be like as the boss "beyond the broad symbols of [his or her] campaign and the tone of [his or her] rhetoric." Still, the professor has created a Web site, The Next Government which researches federal management positions in the 2008 campaign.

The National Federation of Federal Employees has endorsed Clinton. The National Active and Retired Federal Employees Association traditionally does not make a presidential endorsement but gave Clinton, McCain and Obama a score of 100 for their 2005 and 2006 voting record, which means they voted the way the association preferred 100 percent of the time.

If you know of any other federal employment association endorsement or election research tool designed for federal employees, please add a comment.

Foreign Service Staffing

From the Houston Chronicle:
President's Bid to Rebuild Diplomatic Corps is On Target But Off Schedule

Trained and deployed well, diplomats sometimes can do more than an army. One of diplomacy's chief aims, after all, is working things out without killing anyone.

So President George W. Bush's budget proposal Monday — which would fund 1,076 new diplomat jobs — is a huge advance for U.S. security. Both Bush and Congress, which has turned down far smaller proposals, need to fight hard to get this request passed.

Since fiscal 2005, as our military commitment has surged, the number of foreign service workers has remained essentially flat. It's a deficit as dangerous to American interests as neglecting our military.

Bush's budget request calls for an $8.2 billion increase for the State Department in budget year 2009. The plan would boost embassy construction spending by 41 percent and add almost 20 percent more for security worldwide.

Most significantly, though, it would add 1,076 jobs to the State Department, including spots for diplomats, security experts and replacement employees to allow 450 State Department workers to undergo intensive language training.

It's a stunning increase from Bush's meek request last year for only 256 diplomat jobs — a request that Congress nevertheless shot down.

To even make this year's request, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice had to return to White House budgeters three times to plead her case. Her argument: the State Department needs to become an agent of "transformational diplomacy," focusing on partnering with, rather than coercing, countries to respond democratically to the needs of their own people.

Plenty of states, of course, haven't the slightest interest in partnering with the United States in any context. But many, especially since the launch of an ill-planned war in Iraq, have radicalized directly because of the perceived brutality of U.S. foreign policy.

Unfortunately, we have few diplomats fluent enough in Arabic to debate the point on Al-Jazeera, the Arabic-language international news channel based in Qatar.

For more than four years, this country has fought wars on two fronts, lost thousands of servicemen and women and cost hundreds of thousands of foreign lives. Yet the United States has not bothered to fully staff its core international diplomatic force.

Numerous American embassies struggle along at 70 percent staffing. Last year, 10 percent of diplomatic job openings for 2008 were cut.

How Congress justifies neglecting this arm of national security forces is a mystery. But a recent barrage of critiques, including two speeches by Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, may have spurred Bush to finally fight for proper diplomatic funding.

The sum Bush is asking for diplomats would be minor in the military's budget. Yet the additional funds would muster serious smart power: civilian teams to rebuild post-conflict societies; spokesmen to intelligently voice U.S. goals abroad; negotiators to press solutions in the most stubborn conflicts.

Adding new jobs would strengthen the diplomatic corps by a significant percentage. But that's the minimum reinforcement owed to the thousands of soldiers the United States sends around the world to risk their lives.

Tough Opinions on Iraq

The Miranda Memo's tough opinions buzzing has inspired lots of conversations.

Tortilla Protest

Between 100 and 200 protesters have arrived and are now facing the Embassy. I can't quite make out their cause because the signs are blocked by the trees. The topic has something to do with gas, oil, and corn.

An employees thinks the protest is about the cost of tortillas, which has been a contentious issue. The gathering is passionately loud and energetic.

Introduction

Welcome to my blog.