Nothing annoys me more than being discriminated against. Here is a new one that has me gnashing my teeth, and so should you if you like your occasional naughty sweet treat or have found that the old slim you has burgeoned a bit in certain areas.

Hello everyone, this is the Curmudgeon Gal coming to you today, October 7^th from beautiful Baja California, Mexico. It's beginning to feel like fall with a little nip in the air and promise of cooler weather. It's time to consider warmer clothes, put the summer flip-flops away and bring out the long sleeve tee shirts and turtlenecks.

When I came into my community a few minutes ago, the security guy at the guard shack wore a quilted jacket and gloves. I was in a light weight tee shirt and was still all right. But then, I'm a gringa from the North-East and he is Mexican. We might agree on lots of thing, but what's cold is not one of them.

So, in honor of the changing seasons, I decided to look through the stack of catalogues to see what I wanted and didn't need for fall. I say didn't need because, like most Americans, my closets are chock full of "Things." I could probably go for the rest of my life with the clothes I have in the house, but, styles change and, while no longer a Fashionista, I like to give at least a cursory nod to fashion.

Then, I realized I was the object of the new hate crime, the subject of prejudicial behavior and attitudes – sizeism! It's rampant and I don't like it!! Talk about overt discrimination, it's loud and clear and it's time to do something about it.

I like to shop, but I don't like to be taken advantage of. So, as I went through the most recent catalogues that clog my mailbox, I catalogued their discriminatory practices.

My favorite store, Coldwater Creek is one of the worst transgressors. Just looking at the last epistle they sent me, a boucle jacket was $69.95 in petite and Misses extra small through extra large, the Woman's price went up to $79.50 – Ten dollars more!! Notice though, the petites are the same price as the "normal" person's sizes.

I know they are on a financial wobble; they can't be otherwise with established mall competitors like Talbots biting the retail dust. But they don't get it.

Well, since I am an inveterate chain-puller, in case you haven't already figured it out, I wrote them a letter complaining about the difference in price. After all, if they are penalizing us "robust" ladies for our extra poundage, they should be charging less for the little gals – right? So, I got back a letter thanking me for my inquiry, hah! And the explanation that it costs more to make plus sizes.

Then I looked at the size measurement chart they include with their catalogue so you can figure out what size to order. Then it makes no sense at all because the Misses sizes go up to a double XL for measurements of 46 ½ inches for bust size while the Woman's 1X, at ten bucks more, starts at 43-45 inches, hips for XXL Misses are also 46 ½ inches and the 1X is the same 43-45 inches . Huh? How is that more expensive? And if it's more expensive because of fabric, I still maintain the tiny gals should get a break.

Because it pisses me off, I take revenge on them. I go into the stores, look around and try on everything. I make a mental note of what I want to own and I wait. Hell, I'm retired, I have nothing but time. About a month to six weeks later, the whole inventory of that season goes on sale. Then I check out the prices again, hmmmm, not there yet. So I hang out for another few weeks until I get a notice of final sale. That's what I've been waiting for. I know about 2 weeks after that, the whole kit and caboodle will end up in their Outlet, which I can shop on-line. And, since I am a regular customer, I get the catalogues and e-mails that always have discounts attached. This weekend I received an e-mail giving me 40% off the entire web site. Yummmm. I was licking my chops. I pounced and bought everything I had looked at before on sale, and on top got the 40% discount! Yeah, I got the skirt, two tops, dress, jacket, sweaters and two blouses that I had scoped out earlier for a total of $480 – yes, and if you add in the up-charges of $45 for the pleasure of being a 1X it totaled $525…and I paid… wait for it….wait for it… $178! And, when things end up in the Outlet, the size up-charges mysteriously go away. Last winter my best score was a beautiful faux fur jacket originally selling for $135 in my size; I ended up paying $44!

It's my way of getting even and it gives me great pleasure – and I'm not sorry Coldwater Creek. I'll bet there are a whole lot of well-endowed ladies out there doing the same thing, or just so angry they ditch the catalogue in the garbage.

Then, I checked out the other catalogues I received these last weeks. J.Jill is so in the toilet financially they closed their retail shops and went back to a catalogue vendor with a shop or two on the East Coast. In their brilliance, they also charge $10 more for sizes 1X to 4X but petite and regular are the same price.

I just picked up a catalogue from a company I'm not familiar with, Newport News, and a skirt caught my eye. Petite and sizes 2 through 18 cost $59 and Women's 14W through 24W cost $74! Wow! A $15 dollar difference – that's cheeky!

Silhouettes catalogue caters to us ample gals but they have a price break too. A coat was $179 in size XL through 3X but ladies from 4X to 6X had to pay $20 more or $199. Roman's does the same with the price increase of mostly five bucks coming between 24W and 26W. Since I fit the smaller range I felt lucky.

I am however, reminded of buying sheets. None of us ever mind paying the lowest price for twin sheets and accept the price going up by bed size. I think it made sense as it took more material for the larger sizes it and had logic to it.

Boston Proper, Garnet Hill and Casual Living don't much care about us large gals; Serengeti just makes a flat out statement to add either $5 or $10 for Women's sizes.

L.L. Bean infuriates my friend Bill by charging him $5 more because he wears a tall. I can always get him to fume if I bring the subject up. They also charge us ladies from $4 to $10 more for clothing, depending on the item. Land's End does the same, but they have another gimmick that's very smart and sneaky. If you ever order a plus size from them, they send you a "Woman's Clothing" catalogue and all sizes have the same price. However, if you go on-line, you see that Misses sizes are always cheaper for the same item. They have to get up much earlier in the morning to fool this gal!

It's not just the catalogue companies that do this. Kohls, Macys and Sears charge more in their stores for the same items in the Women's department than in the Misses. I don't remember if J.C. Penny does. If you find out, let me know.

Retailers are floundering around in this economy trying anything to lure the customer in. How many offers of $10 to $30 off, 20 to 40% discounts do you get every day in the snail or e-mail? At this time when Americans are getting larger, the plus size woman is more the norm than a Misses size. Don't they get the fact they are angering a huge, no pun intended, part of the population. How dumb is that?

These retailers don't seem smart enough to follow the lead of the success stories in marketing. HSN and QVC are knocking them all to pieces. They charge one price for all apparel, no matter what size. And, they have plus size models modeling their clothing. Well, duh! Doesn't that make sense? The only thing they charge more for according to size is better jewelry and we can all figure that one out since those prices generally go by weight.

And, even though I'm truly sick of the health care debate, if you are overweight, the insurance companies put a surcharge on your policy.

Talk about discrimination! If retailers put up-charges on because of color, race, age or ethnic origin, the ACLU would be at their throats in a heartbeat, but the world moves on and lets us bigger people be the object of overt discrimination. Well, here I am, calling for a movement. All you plus size or tall people who are sick of being taken advantage of, let's revolt and boycott all those stores who charge us more. Otherwise, we might find ourselves paying higher taxes because we take up more space or breathe more air! And you short and small people should join us, think of all the money they've been overcharging you according to their own reasoning – all those size 0 to 6 should have cost a lot less to make and you never saw the benefit.

Sneaking Up On The Patriot Act

Hello everyone, it's September 16^th and I'm hanging out in beautiful Baja California, Mexico. It's fitting that on Mexican Independence Day I want to talk about the Patriot Act. Everyone here is celebrating like mad, think 4^th of July in the US with parades, fireworks and all – very patriotic.

I just came home from a short trip to California to see how the middle part of this North American continent lives. Yeah, that's right, when we Norte Americanos refer to ourselves as "Americans" we seem to have forgotten we share this continent with two other countries, Canada and Mexico, in case you didn't know.

Anyway, the news is still filled with the health care debate and the screaming and howling from those who are against the government stepping in. I still can't understand how a country this supposedly civilized can be so backward.

Let me leave this beaten to death topic with one thought. We are the ONLY major country on this planet that does not provide universal health care for their citizens. And, if the wing nuts have their way, we will continue to be. The rest of the world laughs at us…all the way to the hospital. As I read recently in a report, most countries think of universal health care as a right while we think of it as a business - we let companies profit off our illnesses.

But what I am really concerned with today is the Patriot Act. It has been kept mostly under the radar lately, maybe we are supposed to have forgotten about it.

The Obama administration is faced with the expiration of several parts of the Act at the end of this year. Mostly they deal with surveillance and getting into your life without the necessity of judicial review. President Obama , a constitutional attorney himself, has stated that legal institutions must be updated to deal with terror threats in a way to preserve the rule of law and accountability. But how about our civil rights?

Okay, that sounds very nice and interesting. What is the practice of this nice statement? The Administration wants to extend three parts of the Act that have to do with access to business records and roving wiretaps. Hmmmm, exactly what does this entail? Well, I did a little research.

The provisions that are to be extended deal with the following:

1. making business records open to allow government search of personal records of customers
   
2. permitting roving wiretaps and monitoring of personal international and other calls made by people with no known connections to foreign governments or links to terrorist groups without the requirement of first obtaining a court order, i.e. no judicial oversight.
   

The first part seems innocuous but in fact pertains to telephone calls, e-mail, website visits, health records, bank records and income tax records. That means that Uncle Sam can summarily and without provocation force a company to turn over their customers records. This gives government access to what websites you visit, what library books you take out, what you order from Amazon and when you go to the doctor. Hello? Doesn't that seem to violate your 4^th Amendment right to unreasonable search and seizure and your 5^th Amendment right to due process of law? Sure seems like it to me. But, once a law has been put in place, even though designed to be temporary, it is hard as hell to repeal or not permit it to be extended.

Sure, it was enacted to combat terrorism, but there is no reason the IRS can't use it to see if you are reporting everything you should be. Do you really want the government poking into your health records? What if you visited a psychiatrist, do you really want that known? There is no duty to keep the facts secret once they have peeked into your secret life. What if you visited all the sites for Chubby Gay lovers or S and M sites? Do you really want that known? Do you want someone poking into your e-mails to a dating service?

Then, the roving wiretaps have little or no oversight. You don't have to be suspected of anything to be a target. Maybe someone didn't like your suit, too Brooks Brothers for them. If they are government they can just poke about in your affairs for no better reason.

There was supposed to be Congressional oversight of these provisions, but in reality, it has been non-existent.

The American Bar Association wrote a letter to the President and members of Congress stating that there has been inadequate Congressional oversight of government investigations. Numerous violations of 1^st Amendment right to Free Speech, 4^th Amendment right to freedom from unreasonable search and seizure and 5^th Amendment right to due process have all occurred. When requests were made under the Freedom of Information Act for the FBI to provide documents resulting from these violations, Courts have ruled the FBI dragged their feet in supplying documentation.

The Patriot Act was signed into law forty-five days after 9/11. It was rammed down Congress' throat and in fact, was changed from the copy that was originally submitted to its members. Most of those who voted to enact it had never read it, or at least hadn't read the document they were voting on.

Now, the new administration wants to extend its provisions. This country has been operating since the beginning with a Bill of Rights, the first Amendments to the Constitution. These Amendments were what has set us apart as a nation, the rights that were given and secured to its citizens. Now these rights have been eroded and continue to be, both by the government and by the courts.

The Patriot Act has severely impinged on the 1^st, 4^th and 5^th Amendment, and the Supreme Court in 2005 took a major chunk out of the 5^th in Kelo v. City of New London. The provision in question was the right of citizens to own property – no taking of private property by eminent domain except for public benefit and then only with just compensation. In Kelo, non-blighted private property was seized by the City of New London under Eminent Domain and given to a developer for $1 a year for the sole purpose of increasing the municipal revenues.

So, think of your rights as a citizen and resident of the United States of America. In the last eight years you have had three of your basic rights taken from you. First under the Bush Administration, and now the new administration is trying to extend this rights grab. Think about it, why would the Obama Administration want to give back the right to have your records private? There is an awful lot a government can learn about you through business records. And today, information is power.

Forget about terrorism; think about your life and what you would like to keep secret. Are you such an open book that you would be happy to have everything out in the open? People have told me, let them look into my records, I have nothing to hide. Yeah, right!

I remember the days of good old Joe McCarthy and his witch hunting. Think what a field day he would have in today's world. Everyone was guilty by association in McCarthy's eyes. Under the Patriot Act your house can be broken into, your computer taken and searched without notice. Got anything on your address database you might not like someone to see? You might not even know that someone on your Act! Or Office address book has a third cousin married to the great grand niece of the brother-in-law of a terrorist in Saudi Arabia. Or maybe an old college pal has been making the odd trip to Pakistan ostensibly to buy artificial flowers wholesale and has stayed a bit longer than normal. Maybe he has a girlfriend stashed there he spends time with but the government might think he's going to an Al Qaida training camp. Under the McCarthy investigations, that would have been enough to brand you as a co-conspirator.

Sure, sounds extreme doesn't it? But in a nation so easily turned in any direction by fear, it can happen again in a heartbeat. After McCarthy, we were sure that sort of thing would never take place in the USA. We had learned our lesson. But sadly, my beloved country, like our last President, pays little attention to history. We go off half-cocked and do idiot things we might be sorry for later… like maybe invading Iraq.

So, we have given our government the tools of our own destruction in the Patriot Act, and our new President is in the process of extending these tools once more. Think about it and draw your own conclusions. I certainly have.

Sick America and It Ain’t Love

Wing nuts and crazies have come out of hiding once again in the arguments against Universal Health care. What is wrong with America to constantly create enough fear that people are willing to vote and act against their own self-interest?

As I sit and enjoy the perfect Mexican weather I look on with disbelief at the healthcare debacle going on at home in the States. What never ceases to amaze me is the idiocy of the American public. As usual, they are ready to believe the scare mongers and act against their own self-interest.

At the moment, no matter what side of the fence you are on with respect to President Obama's health care program, the facts are basically uncontroverted.

There are between 46 and 48 million Americans with no health care provisions.

The United States has the highest health care costs in the world with per capita spending of over $4000. Some studies put that figure at close to $6000 per person. Never mind, even at the lower figure we are the world's most extravagant.

As a whole we currently spend approximately 16% of the country's Gross Domestic Product on health care.

And, the results are not great. We rank in life expectancy in the world between 27 to 29 depending on the survey and year taken. Surely not a great result.

The USA is the ONLY first world country that does not have a universal health care system for its citizens!

Approximately half the bankruptcies in the US are caused by uninsured medical bills.

So, in order for our country to try to come into the twenty-first century by providing health care for all it's citizens, the administration has to fight a coterie of wing-nuts who scream and lie about health care.

Who is against universal health care? Easy – Republicans for one. And why? Generally because many of their campaigns are financed by large companies – like pharmaceutical, insurance, health care providers.

The cost of health insurance has risen to astronomical levels. As an example, before my husband and I reached Medicare age, my small company provided our health insurance. It cost just under $1400 a month for the two of us. We had to buy it through our company as it was the only way to not have pre-existing conditions exclude us from the ability to buy insurance. And, by the way, we had Kaiser Insurance. I previously had California Blue Cross for my company but the premiums continuously went up over $300 a month per person and I could no longer afford it.

With today's structure, you cannot get family insurance with a pre-existing condition of any member, and insurance carriers can dump you out if you develop a condition that is costly. Let's say you have family health insurance and your child develops leukemia. Not only can your premiums skyrocket if you are lucky enough to have the insurance continue, but the insurance company can refuse to renew your policy. Also, you have to prove it was not a pre-existing condition you were aware of at the time you applied for the insurance.

I hear nutty arguments against universal health care. "If we turn it over to the government, they will mess it up and it will be disorganized." This is one of my personal favorites. Having dealt with private insurance, I can tell you that the worst mess is trying to get your paperwork through Blue Cross. That is a disaster! When I had it for my company, we had to spend hours and hours on filling out forms, fighting with the company, dealing with employee after employee whose sole job was to find a reason to refuse to pay.

With Medicare (run if you please, by our government, you dummy if you don't know that), I just present my card and pay the co-pay. There is no fighting, no plethora of paper, no idiot bureaucrat to deal with. It runs smoothly, and in an organized fashion. You can't be canceled; you can't be dumped for a pre-existing condition. If you lose your job, if your company wants to cut back on benefits, you are still covered.

I still keep Kaiser as my supplemental provider. At the moment I pay a $5 co-pay, but it changes from year to year. It's never been higher than $15 a visit since I've been on Medicare. Social Security deducts $40 a month from my check and pays Kaiser. It is easy, simple and not a problem. When my husband was dying from ALS, he had excellent treatment with specialists, tests, medication and caring support groups. We could not have asked for more.

My friend, Melinda Bates, author of the book "Clintonista" available on Amazon, was recounting the insane arguments she has been hearing at the town hall debates on health care. Things like and hysterical "Don't let the government mess with my Medicare!" Well, that's interesting, Medicare is the government!

There are the advertisements lying, as usual, about the possible ramifications. Check out who pays for them and you might be surprised. Look to see if they aren't supported by some health insurance plans or pharmaceutical organizations.

Yes, a lot of things that might change with a universal health care plan. The uninsured won't have to go to emergency rooms for treatment any more. The cost of a doctor's visit under universal care would be much cheaper, like $5 to $20 depending on the plan, as opposed to a current visit to emergency which runs in the thousands. Several years ago I had chest pains late at night. We called Kaiser and they told my husband to rush me to emergency. I was there for about an hour and the cost was $1800! It was picked up by my insurance. Also, while the bill I received was for the full amount, with a notation that I was not to pay but it would be billed to Kaiser, when I got the paperwork from Kaiser, they had paid less than $500; a negotiated reduction in payment because I had Medicare. Hummm. Wasn't that interesting? Medicare had pre-negotiated costs for treatment with the hospital.

What most people don't think about are the hidden costs of medical care. Private physicians can pay in the hundreds of thousands of dollars a year for malpractice insurance. This is passed along to the patient as part of their fees.

Pharmaceutical companies have high costs for research and development. We don't want to stop that, but the cost is added to prescription costs.

However, there are millions upon millions of dollars a year spent on advertising. Had anyone ever heard of "restless leg syndrome" before it was advertised on TV? How about the new prescription for growing eyelashes? Could you be interested in a new medication for depression that might cause thoughts of suicide? And need I mention erectile dysfunction medication… The cost of all these ads is passed on to you, the consumer of any prescription medication those companies produce - even if you have no interest in having your penis erect, your eyelashes grow, having possible thoughts of suicide or stopping your legs from having "creepy-crawly" feelings.

In the past, new medications were advertised to physicians, the ones who ultimately determine if their patients need them. Now, the pharmaceuticals are creating a new breed of patient who will besiege their doctor for every new medication that comes out on the market. Maybe universal health care will alleviate this in the long run. I for one would be happy not to watch ads for erectile dysfunction, but then again, I'm not too happy with the ones on sanitary napkins and tampax either.

But, once again, the American people are letting the nut cases loose in the debates. The hysteria will mount and those who need health care most will be swayed by lies like "this will ruin the best health care system in the world" – not! We have a broken, non-working system now that leaves roughly a sixth of our entire population uninsured. What are they thinking?

Or, "Do you want to let some bureaucrat dictate your health care?" This is my favorite actually. It is the dumbest of the dumb! At the moment, your health care, other than if you have Medicare, is actually dictated by not only a bureaucrat, but a computer that will deny your claims and throw you out of coverage with your private insurance. If you are twenty or more pounds overweight, your premiums will go up. If you develop an illness that may cost the insurance company some money, they can cancel your plan. Those are the actual bureaucrats who decide your health care options. None of this can occur with the government plan.

Once again the Republicans have geared up their scare machine to frighten Americans into acting against their own self-interest. The lies are marching on to spin old people into fear that health care reform equals death. How can you deal with a country that accepts fear-mongering as a way to line their pockets? Rational thought and argument can't compete against little old ladies screeching at town hall meetings.

Hey, this is one time where I don't care very much. I have Medicare and it works very well, thank you very much US government!

So, to all of you wing nuts out there with your scare stories about how terrible universal health care will be and you winging about the President's desire to take care of you, I make this wish specifically for you – may you have a recurring illness that causes your private plan to cancel you, or may you lose your job and health insurance, or move to another job with no health insurance, or just for drill, forget to pay your insurance premiums the week before you have an accident. Then, when you are left hanging out to dry with medical bills in the hundreds of thousands of dollars – real easy to come by – please, don't come to me with your sad story. I'll have the same sympathy for you as I have for all those who voted for George Bush to have a second term whose houses are now in foreclosure. Ho-hum!

Macho Moe

 

Okay, I admit it! I've got a big red "S" for "Sucker" emblazoned across my forehead. And, my downfall is always the same - dogs, especially puppies. I should never live in Mexico! It breaks my heart to see tiny puppies I know are only four or five weeks old being held up for sale. They are bathed, fluffed out and adorable; hopefully to entice a sale. But they are also too young to be away from their mothers, hardly weaned, and no shots to protect them from the many diseases they're exposed to.

About a year and a half ago my dear departed Enrique and I spotted a man holding a tiny black pup up for sale as we drove by. We stepped on the gas to get past fast, we already had three dogs. We agreed to do our errands, and then, if the man and dog were still there on the way back we might stop and see how much he wanted. If we could afford it we might get it, bring it home to make sure it was healthy and find a good home for it. We ended up with it, it was not healthy and we nursed the pup for several weeks until it was well. We still aren't sure what it had, but it was so weak the poor thing couldn't raise it's head. I spent several weeks feeding it baby formula and Pedialyte through an eye dropper. Now I can report Henry is now a strapping black poodle, happy, healthy and the love of my life, except for the other dogs, of course, who share my heart with him.

Then, last week it happened again. I was driving on the Boulevard and there was a man holding up a puppy--white with a substantial black patch over one eye. Again, I decided to run my errands and see if it was still there when I came back. You know the end of the story. I swear I heard a little angel named Enrique whispering in my ear encouragement to bring him home. Enrique was even more of a sucker for the pups than I am. After all, who else names a rescue pup after himself and goes downstairs to sleep on the floor next to them if he hears a little cry?

The new one's name is Macho Moe and he's sleeping by my feet at the moment. His first stop was the vet to be checked out, have his shots and be wormed. He wasn't so thrilled about the shots but he sure liked the nice bowl of food he ate a little later on. The vet says he looks nice and healthy and he seems to be. I've had him now almost a week and he's just fine.

Moe is smart as the dickens. The man selling him said he was ten weeks old, the vet and I think more like six and that might be generous, but he does have his baby teeth and eats anything in sight. Since he's been home, he hasn't messed in the house or his crate and this afternoon he learned how to play ball in about two minutes. He had the hang of it immediately and even figured out if he put the ball between my feet I'd throw it for him again.

Now I am certifiably the crazy dog lady with five dogs, all poodle mixes of some sort or another. Lorenzo I know is Yorkie-poo. Everyone thinks Gertie is Shi Tzu Poo, Daisy is probably Maltese poodle. Henry is just handsome poodle (and he knows it!). This Moe, who knows? He is certainly mostly poodle, maybe a soupcon of Maltese and perhaps a spotted Chihuahua donated the eye-patch. Whatever the mix, he's adorable. But he needs to find a home. That way I can rescue the next one I find on the street.

Now I know it only encourages people to sell these little guys before they are ready, but it's gonna happen anyway. Some child will be gifted a sick puppy that will die and break it's heart. At least if I scoop them up there will be one more healthy dog in Mexico. Enrique used to tell me people are so poor in Mexico they will do almost anything to feed their families. To them, a dogs are just another means of survival.

Mexico has been hit hard lately with no tourists, bad press over drug wars, Swine flu scare and a rotten economy all over the world. I'm afraid this summer there will be a lot more little guys being sold on the streets. If you happen to buy one, take it to the vet immediatley to be checked out and have it's shots. The vendor will sell you a bill of goods that's it's been checked out and has shots, but don't believe it. Make sure you do it yourself. I had a puppy die on me once many years ago and it was traumatic for the whole family. Most of them can be saved if you take the right steps and listen to your vet.


The local government is aware of the problem. They are scooping up as many of the stray dogs as possible. The ones that can be saved are sent to the humane societies or places like the Baja Animal Sanctuary where they can live out their lives in peace if they aren't adoptable. Puppy mills are raided all over the country, but there are more pressing issues and this is on a back burner unless someone complains. Like the States, when money is tight, the ones who can't speak for themselves suffer.

If anyone is in the market for a great puppy, think of Macho Moe. He's smart, non-shedding and adorable. I have no idea how big he's going to be, but probably less than fifteen pounds, just perfect for a loving lap dog and still big enough to play ball with.

Reality Check

The Fourth of July, the day America celebrates it's independence just passed. It's a good time for a reality check and taking a hard look at the country. Sweep away all those misconceptions you have about America's place in the world and take off the blinders. It might come as a surprise that we aren't really as wonderful as you might think.

We've just finished celebrating our independence from Great Britain, the first step to becoming the great nation we are today.

But are we really so great? Maybe it's time to take a good hard look at ourselves and see what the reality is and how it compares with the myth that is the United States.

We say we are the land of the free and the home of the brave. Well, our boys in Iraq and Afghanistan have certainly proved they are brave, but are the rest of us free? No one has bothered to repeal the Patriot Act so our telephone conversations, e-mails, financial and health records are still subject to being spied on without the necessity of a court order if they are deemed to be in the national security. Reality check!

Yes, some prisoners are being taken from Guantanamo and there has been a Presidential decision not to resort to torture. Stem cell research is being pushed along and progress is being made in the gay and lesbian marriage issue. Border questions have not been dealt with. US citizens now need a passport, Sentri card or Passport card to get back into our own country once we leave, say to have a lobster and a Corona on the Mexican beaches. In the past, lest you forget, the borders between the US, Mexico and Canada could be freely crossed with a state driver's license or a birth certificate. Reality check!

I have a Sentri pass that means I'm a trusted traveler and I go in a separate line. I've had my fingerprints taken and I guess they checked to see if I'm a criminal. As you pull up to the agent at the gate, they ask what you are bringing back from Mexico. Generally I just have "car junk" which are the hats I'm supposed to wear in the sun and don't, an umbrella or two, two folding chairs, maps, gas additive, water bottles and other miscellaneous trash that's accumulated since the last clean-up. I don't remember exactly what that "junk" consists of all the time so I generally answer with "stuff that lives in my car and weekend clothes, nothing that I didn't bring down." One time I said that and the agent looked at me and yelled, "How do I know what you brought down, it could be drugs and guns! Not what have you got!"

Stuttering, I tried to remember what I had - a laptop, shoes, make-up, the ubiquitous hats, umbrellas, folding chairs, a pair of jeans, three tee shirts, 3 changes of underwear, my iPod, like that. All with various "I'm sorrys" thrown in. As I left the gate, I realized that the son-of-a-bitch had done it on purpose to have some fun and scare the living b'jesus out of me. And it worked; the government successfully made these fine "gentlemen" the very impolite face of our not-so-free country when we enter. It's a reminder big daddy is looking over you. Every time I go in and out of the country, say to Costco or Target to pick up some odds and ends not readily available in Mexico, my photo is taken in both directions. How creepy is that!

You can't have a beer on the beach in most of California. You can't smoke within 20 feet of a public place – some cities like San Luis Obisbo won't let you smoke in city limits. Hey, I don't smoke and I don't like to be around smokers anymore, but I still think it's an infringement on civil rights.

Mexico is much freer, there are acts of drug violence, but no one is going to listen to your telephone conversation. I was shocked when they opened my mail as part of the war on drugs to check on money going in and out of the country. I guess I wasn't very interesting since that's been stopped. You can't smoke in bars and restaurants in Mexico either, but you can smoke in outside seating areas and no one will arrest you for smoking on the street.

Then, let's look at some other things we think we are outstanding in - education for instance. In world reading literacy, the USA ranks number fifteen behind number one Finland, and then in descending order Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Ireland, South Korea and the UK. Reality check!

In scientific literacy, the USA ranks number fourteen behind South Korea at the number one spot, then Japan, Finland, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and so on. Not much there to be proud of.

In the health area, the USA spends the largest percentage of it's gross domestic product on health with not great results. The cost per capita is $4,631 or a total of 14.6% of GDP. Canada is number five and spends $2,535 with medical coverage for all Canadians. The UK has socialized medicine also and spends only $1,764 per capita ranking number sixteen in the world for costs. Then, when you look at life expectancy at birth, for all that money spent, we aren't doing a very good job as the USA ranks number forty-seven for a life expectancy of 78.14 years. Macau at number one has a life expectancy of 84.33 years. Japan is number three, France ranks number seven with their citizens expecting to live to 80.87 years. Bet you didn't see that one coming.

The USA is the 24^th most murderous country in the world while Saudi Arabia is number 61. The UK, Italy, Spain and Germany rank respectively 46 through 49. Hmmmm.

As the world's largest debtor nation, the USA owes eight trillion, sixty-eight billion dollars, or a whopping sixty point eight percent of it's Gross Domestic Product. In relationship of debt to GDP it's number 26 on the world list with Zimbabwe number one as its debt is over two hundred percent of its GDP.

So, today, re-think what a great country we are and take a hard look. We are actually a country of entitled, badly educated, ill mannered and not very healthy idiots who got themselves into this mess and now can't believe what's happened. How many out there let themselves sink into foreclosure without believing that it would or could actually happen to them? Probably about ninety percent of those now in deep doo doo.

It's our arrogant entitled mindset that has taken the country to the pits. I spent some time looking at short sales and was shocked at how the former owners trashed the houses they had to give up. Like it was someone else's fault the bank took it back. We refuse to take responsibility for our actions, just pass the blame along and refuse to admit mistakes – just like our last president.

There is a preconception that the USA is the richest country in the world. That's not true, the countries with the largest per capita GDP are Liechtenstein, Qatar, Luxembourg, Kuwait and the USA ranks number six. We are also number six for the highest quality of life behind Norway, Sweden, Canada, Belgium and Australia. Reality check!

A friend of mine is a headhunter and they insist that their candidates inform their spouses they have been laid off so the entire family can join in cutting back. Many of them won't let the wife know. They can't believe it's happened to them and they know they can make it better. They refuse to accept that they will have to take a lesser paying job and cut back on much of the family expenses. They don't get it! Reality check!

Another friend may have to sell their house to relocate to another area for a job. They refuse to accept the fact their house lost value since the high point in the market. When they spoke to a broker to list the place the owner refused to list it at the broker's suggested price. "I'm not selling for that price, it's worth much more than that!" he yelled. Yeah, it might have been, but those days are gone forever – or at least a good long while. Reality check!

So, after you sober up from the holiday, take a real reality check. Look at all the things you took for granted about the United States and then think about what it's really like. Then, try to figure out how you can help to make it better. One way to get real is to understand you are not entitled to much unless you figure out how to earn it, and by the way, that's an excellent+ lesson to pass on to the kids today.

Maybe we aren't so great after all, but it might just be better than anyplace else.

 

 

Drug Wars and Various

Drug Wars have a massive impact on Mexico. Now Mexico is reeling under other multiple impacts, a lousy US economy, necessity for US travelers to have a Passport or other federal documentation to get back home, the swine flu scare, it's own economic problems and slow death by media. How can a country recover from this much negativity? We need help.

This is the 23^nd of June, 2009 and is written in Baja California, Mexico.

Since everyone is recognizing their poverty in the USA, they can save money by planning their vacations in Baja. The dollar buys more in food, accommodations and shopping then you could ever dream of. Retirement condos and homes are going for prices unheard of in recent years. The lifestyle of the residents hasn't changed. We go on about our business, have parties, go to restaurants, dance, walk on the beach and enjoy all those things we always did. I'm an old broad and I drive around with no fear. People are as polite, friendly and welcoming as always - actually, maybe more now since tourists have become a decidedly endangered species. The locals are really glad when one is brave enough to appear.

Tourists are not the target of the recent violence, but still the fear is pervasive – thank you American media.

This past weekend was Father's Day, a time usually packed with tourists in Baja, restaurants filled, beaches and bars as well. Sadly, no such luck. The media is successful in painting Mexico as a war zone, not to be braved by mere tourists. It now requires a passport or passport card to get back into the United States even if you are a citizen. Swine Flu still hovers out there in people's consciousness.

So, Mexico is dying along with the narco-trafficante victims. Along Benito Juarez, the main drag in Playas de Rosarito, taco shops still willing to brave the economic downturn sit empty.

This last weekend I had breakfast overlooking the beach at one of our favorite restaurants. Years past the beach filled with kids, families, people on horseback, tents, dune buggies racing around, volleyball games, food stands. There were a few souls on the beach, vast empty stretches and a few more souls.

Our beach is beautiful, cleaned regularly; tourists welcomed with huge smiles and courtesy. We want them, they are our lifeblood. But they aren't coming. Mexico is suffering a slow death by media.

Then, Sunday night as I clicked through the channels, there was Anderson Cooper, doing a special for "Sixty Minutes" on CBS about the violence in Mexico. Footage of headless bodies lined up on streets, hanging from buildings, guns, and the seeming hopelessness of the war on drugs was the subject matter. Hell, if I saw it on TV I'd sure have second thoughts about coming down here. But, take another look and the footage is not so new, the interviews with Homeland Security not quite recent. It's just another vicious attack on a neighbor to exacerbate the situation. What's the matter – a week with no news?

Let's face the sad truth; the basis of the problem is money. Mexico is still a developing country. Compared to their neighbor to the north salaries are low. Americans buy massive quantities of recreational drugs so the sale of them across the border is blindingly profitable. The cartels are willing to pay huge sums of money to carry on their business. The equation is obvious. Tourist business is down. The downturn in the US economy killed real estate development and resulted in factory closings on the Mexican side of the border. People are as desperate for work here as they are in the US – they need to work, they need money to feed their families. Crimes go up.

If you need to earn a living and the only game in town is a cartel, the decision is obvious. The USA must cooperate not only in helping Mexico gain back the tourist business, but also to raise the standard of living and, first and foremost - make drugs legal. But no, they send more money for law enforcement and the problems continue.

I have great respect for President Calderon. He has taken on the onerous task of fighting the drug war. Like our president in the United States, he inherited a terrible problem and is bravely dealing with it. But the US must also help. A hard look should be taken at legalizing drugs. The first step towards a solution is to cut off the demand and the money made from filling it. It will also help the US by creating tax dollars from legal sources that fill the demand.

After all, wouldn't you rather see the money to satisfy drug users going to Pfizer, Lily, Amgen, Johnson & Johnson or Merck rather than the cartels? We can tax these guys, they're Americans.

How much does the government spend each year in fighting the war on drugs? Wouldn't it be nice to have that money to spend on education or health care?

Next, for pity sake, stop the Mexico bashing! The media has a slow day and they bash Mexico. What's that all about? Every illegal alien is thought to be Mexican, Mexico is cited as the Swine Flu capital when in fact it did more to stop the epidemic than the USA. Mexico is depicted as the most dangerous place in the world on a par with Pakistan and Americans are told not to travel here. This plays into the hands of the cartels. When no legal work is available, more desperate people are available to suck into their web.

Look at the crimes in the USA. The crime rates are skyrocketing all over the country. They always do in an economic downturn.

I visited my daughter the beginning of the month. She lives in a lovely country area in Connecticut. Forested lots of five to ten acres are graced with elegant New England style homes. At the end of her area, a country road leads to the highway. Three houses out of four on the corners of that road have been broken into. When I'm in the states the news is full of home invasions, bank robberies on the rise, kidnappings, ho hum, just another day. They get very little press - but have crime in Mexico and it's a big deal. I don't see anyone sending out advisories not to travel to Connecticut or California.

In fact, the violence in Mexico is a sign that President Calderon's fight against the cartels is working. The cartels are fighting for their lives; they know the government is tightening controls on graft, gun importation and targeting all levels of crime. There are military checkpoints, enhanced border security entering Mexico, all evidence of how serious the government is taking this problem.

New police recruits are trained by international staff and methods. The old laissez faire attitude towards the mordita (little bite) or graft pay off is gone. The new police forces are being taken seriously and the citizens are looking at them with a new respect not there in the past.

Under the old regimes, crimes were seldom reported, most people were more afraid of the police then the criminals. They knew there was no one higher up to report graft to as it was rampant through the entire chain of command. Many police were involved with the criminals and would come after you if crimes were reported.

That is changing, and expect a fight. No one easily gives up their morditas. Mexico is in a battle to become a respectable country, move out of third world status, and it's trying hard – it is something the people want. There are more and more educated workers; an emphasis is placed on educating children and having them learn useful vocations. The middle class is increasing by leaps and bounds. Gigantic developments are built to house the working class in new and modern homes, priced to be accessible. People with something to lose want law and order and control in their lives. This is the attitude of the new generations, they see a better way and they not only want it, they demand it.

Come and see, the streets and highways are being beautified. There is a war against graffiti and highway debris. If someone hasn't come to Baja in a few years, it will be a shock to see how improved the area is. We see it in Rosarito where Mayor Hugo Torres has made incredible improvements to the infrastructure of the city - roads paved, upgraded sewage, water and electric. He wants a safe, clean and beautiful city. The sad part is, there are few tourists to enjoy the clean beaches, the new sculptures and plantings on main streets, cleaner highways and modernized city. Sadly, because of the economy, closed stores and restaurants face those streets the city has done so much to beautify.

Ensenada is reminiscent of the South of France with sidewalk cafes on it's main street in the tourist area. Good restaurants, reasonable priced accommodations are all available with no takers. Shopping is excellent and a good bargain at thirteen pesos to a dollar, but stores close for lack of customers.

A trip to the wine country of the Guadalupe Valley is through interesting nature; fine wines are there to be enjoyed along with good food and accommodations. We who live here love this trip and always enjoy a day spent in the valley exploring to find new vineyards and restaurants.

There are no problems in these areas, but they suffer with the bad press given to the Tijuana drug wars and swine flu scare. Ships don't dock in Ensenada with the same frequency. There are fewer American license plates on weekends along the Cuota road south.

Condominium developments stand skeletal and unfinished, the money ran out when the US economy tanked and buyers disappeared. Even the rental market dried up. Where everything was rented by this time of year, there are few takers for this summer season.

How long will it take to come back? No one knows, but I do know one thing, if the US doesn't stop the killing media blitz, it never will. Ever since 9/11, it seems the only thing that get's people's attention is fear, and now it's aimed at Mexico. Maybe we should develop a terror level here too.

Come on down, it's green for OK!

Copyright Alice Donenfeld-Vernoux 2009 all rights reserved. Any use requires the permission of the copyright owner.

Deadly Lies

It's hard to admit you might need help. A lie of "I'm okay" comes much easier than admitting you might not be so great and a little help could be needed. That lie could prove deadly on certain occasions.

Hello everyone, this is the Curmudgeon Gal coming to you today from beautiful Baja California Mexico on June 16^th, that started off with the sun and has now turned into clouds. Such is life on the west coast of this great continent!

I've been out of touch for a while. Several weeks ago someone dear to me, Enrique Zavala, passed away quietly in his sleep at home in Tijuana. I had seen him a few days before at his business and he looked healthy and perky as we snuggled and kissed in greeting as we always did - he was my novio, or sweetheart. I had to go across the border into California for several days to take a friend, Joann, to the hospital and make sure she was getting the right treatment. When I got back, one of his workers called to tell me he was gone. What a shock!

Between dragging Joann to the hospital and Enrique passing away so suddenly, I started to think about how all of us, friends and family, lie to each other all the time.

You call a loved one to just say "hi" and see how they are. When you ask, the most common response is, "I'm fine, how are you." And you respond with something like "I'm Okay too." When in fact, neither of you are really okay.

Enrique had one lung and suffered from chronic bronchitis, he was a partner in an iron works business with a place of business fronted, as common in Mexico, by a dirt parking area. There was a lot of traffic and lots of dust from the road, the parking area and an open field across the street. He often had problems breathing, but you wouldn't know he was ill from looking at him. He had lovely soft brown Mexican skin, made darker by being in the sun most of the day. You couldn't tell how he felt by looking, like those of us of pale skinned Northern European descent who immediately turn an unhealthy pallor when we're ill. He had a whole cabinet of medications and a oxygen concentrator he was to use at least overnight – all of which he would frequently forget to do.

So, when his son would call and ask how he was, he would summon up his usual perky response and say "Oh, I'm fine, just fine." And his son, like the rest of us, would believe him; after all, he was a nice honest man, why would he lie to us? And I'm sure he didn't think of it as lying. It was the polite response ingrained in all of us.

Joann, on the other hand, was in pain during our usual bridge game. She had severe pains in her abdomen and it had gone on for a day before. The next day the pains were still there and I offered to take her to the hospital. She refused and insisted she was all right. Later, she spoke to another friend and admitted the pain had increased. We conferred; it was time to take her to the hospital. Maggie, friend, neighbor and fellow bridge player, and I went to her house and told her she was going to the emergency room with us and she should gather up what she might need for the trip. We didn't ask her; we just announced what was going to happen. We meant business and she acquiesced as she could tell we wouldn't take no for an answer. She spent three days in the hospital with tests to find out what was wrong and to take care of the pain. I don't want to go so far as to say we saved her life, but maybe we saved her from a more grave condition. At least she received the care she needed and was spared more pain.

If Enrique had admitted it when he felt sick and couldn't breathe, could friends or family have saved him? I don't know and never will, but it's a question we will always have in the back of our minds. I either saw or spoke with him every day, and would ask if he had used his oxygen and taken his meds. Did he tell me the truth when he said he had? I'm not so sure.

We've all joked about asking someone how they were and getting an ad nauseum list of complaints and possible diagnoses. Generally, we flee from such a response and make mental notes to never ask that person how they are again. Come on, we've all done it, admit it.

As we age, the common responses no longer are useful. If you are sad and depressed, saying so might bring a friend over for a cup of coffee or an invitation to a cocktail hour to watch the sunset. If you're in pain, saying so can bring a ride to the nearest hospital with a caring buddy.

But it's hard to do. We've been brain washed to believe we must be able to do it all alone and never ask for help. Somehow, it's an admission of defeat to say we can't do something by ourselves and it makes us feel guilty or weak. I don't know if women are worse than men at this. I know women's reluctance to ask for assistance goes back at least to the women's movement of the 1960's where we needed acknowledgement that we could do it all ourselves. Also, maybe in the back of our minds we have the fear of being rejected, of hearing "no."

A few years ago I was in the hospital in Tijuana and many friends came to visit. Enrique even spent nights on the couch in my room. Melinda called me and asked if there was something she could bring. I told her I was hungry and the hospital food was not doing it for me as it was all liquid. She arrived with a pastry cooked with meat and cheese inside and some fruit and I almost took her fingers off when I saw it. I certainly showed I was not as well trained as my dogs in taking a treat!

I always notice people who have visitors in hospitals seem to get more attention. It's a nasty and insidious prejudice I think stems from the nurses' unconscious belief that if no one comes to visit a patient, they mustn't be worth much, or no one is overlooking the kind of treatment they're receiving. So if anyone I care about is in the hospital, I always try to visit whenever possible. It's the place where everyone needs an advocate.

I don't really want to hear a list of complaints, but I do want to know if a friend is ill or lonely where I can help or do something useful. I'm ready to drive to the doctor or hospital or the nearest bar if that's what's needed, just give me a call and I'm ready to go.

It's not easy to ask for a helping hand. I know I'm the worst and feel an interior cringe coming on if I have to ask for help. It somehow seems an admission of weakness on my part, when in fact; I know it takes more strength to ask for help. It's just not easy to bargain or ask on your own behalf, sort of like trying to deal with the boss for a raise…not easy to be your own negotiator. You can feel sick and slough it off, you don't want to be a bother, maybe it will go away, we'll see how it is tomorrow.

I was at my home in Spain years ago and had terrible cramps in my abdomen for two days, unable to sleep and writhing in pain. My husband thought I just had food poisoning. I went along for two days of excruciating pain thinking that it would pass and not wanting to make a fuss. I felt myself weaken and finally insisted I must see a doctor. When I got medical attention it was for an emergency operation to correct a grave situation that if left for little more time might have killed me or, at the very least, left me physically impaired for life. It was an unpleasant lesson to learn.

So, put your pride in your pocket for the moment, call a good friend who you suspect might need some help and meet them for a cup of coffee. Have this conversation with them and let them know you'll be there for them if they need you. Maybe someday the favor might be returned in kind.

I'm off to the beach for a sundowner cocktail hour with my buddies at the moment. We all understand the concept and are forever giving each other rides. Maybe because we're an ex-pat community in Mexico we tend to stick together more than if we were in the states. After all, we are strangers in a strange land.

Curmudgeon Gal

The Vulture

Now is the time to get even with all the developers who kept raising prices on homes with no justification other than greed. It's about time the tables are turned and I dearly love being out there turning them.

It's May 15^th in sunny Baja, California Mexico and we're enjoying unprecedented sun instead of the usual "May gray" this time of year. Maybe it's Mother Nature's way to give us some bright spots after violence, Swine Flu and lousy economy. If that's the case, well, thanks Mom!

I'm having a great time driving up and down the coastline hitting all the sales offices of the vastly overpriced condominiums that were hastily built a while ago to take advantage of the housing boom in the States. They started out as bargains with two bedrooms two baths, nice floor plans, selling from the low 100 thousands to a top of three hundred for the larger penthouses or top floor models in taller buildings. Then, as soon as they saw the US bubble begin to swell, the prices were jacked up too. At the top of the market they more than doubled.

In the US, I've seen completed homes in developments plowed under to not have to pay costs of putting in streets and utilities. Here in Mexico, condo towers that are nothing but empty frames sit deserted on the road south in Baja. Many have already been abandoned. The last time this happened, it took 12 years for the market to come back enough to risk finishing construction.

A large mall was built in the center of Rosarito about twelve years ago and last year was finally plowed under because there were no businesses to fill it. The developer's mantra is build in the boom and run in the bust. Any drive down the coastline shows plenty of high-rise skeletons on the Oceanside with wind whistling through them.

And then there are the holdouts. The sales offices are open and they try to tell you what a good deal their projects are as they hide the number of buyers who renege on closings. The Mexican model was to take a substantial down-payment and have the balance paid on completion of the project.

Oh yeah, and Donald Trump even had his name on a project in Playas de Tijuana, it was sold out in a matter of days, very substantial down payments taken, like half of purchase prices running from 250 thousand for a studio, to prices in the million dollar range. The balance due on completion. Well, the project's tanked. The buyers went to the company for refunds of their money and were told it had all been spent. I drive past it every week or so, it's vacant land with some dirt pushed around and flags and billboard with The Donald's picture. If the money's been spent, it must have been spent in someone's pocket 'cause it sure doesn't look like much was done to begin the project.

There are a load of condo developments, new and shiny, some still being built, some with a small, and I mean a small handful, like eight residents out of 400 units, of tenants in place, developers fronting costs for security, common areas maintenance, pools, balance of construction, and no one closing on the remainder of units. Why on earth would someone pony up two hundred and fifty thousand dollars more on a unit that in this market is barely worth the down payment that was made? Get a grip!

How the hell do you plow under a twelve story building? They just sit with the few residents pissed off out of their minds at the developer – if they can even find them, rattling around in these grandiose projects.

And here I come, and make no bones about it. I waltz in and cheerily announce I'm a vulture looking to buy and if they're bleeding enough I'll talk to them. No blood no conversation. I don't need arrogant salesman bullshit they fed to everyone for so long they believed it themselves.

That was then, this is now. New rules, new game. There is virtually no one who has enough equity in their home to float a second to buy these condos, no matter how lovely. The Boomers who wanted to downsize and retire here in Mexico try to sell their homes in the states and find there is precious little equity left in them unless they bought years ago – like 15 or 20 years ago, and never refinanced to take out the equity.

But still the brokers try to spin the web of deceit and con the buyer into thinking they have a deal. And where are their heads?

Here's a true story that will really give you an idea of the no-clue mentality. One of the projects I visited around Christmas time last year. I saw really nice three bedroom unit with a small lap pool on a large terrace. The asking price was just under six hundred thousand, way too much for me. It was 2800 square feet inside and the terrace/patio must have been around 1200 square feet. It was overpriced but not as much as some because it had full ocean view and spacious. I asked the price last week and the agent told me it was nine hundred and something. I broke out in laughter and got an odd look. "I love your attitude," I told him, "the unit doesn't sell so you almost double the price. That's Mexican mentality?"

He looked confused. "We did that two years ago on another project and every time we raised the price the units sold." I found that hilarious and broke up laughing some more. He was clueless and didn't get it. Too bad.

I really enjoy the irony. It's pleasurable to make them squirm when you make them 'fess up to the truth. If they stuck to their original offering prices, maybe a small increase if costs of construction went up, I wouldn't be so mean, but they are so deserving of a good butt kicking I can't help myself.

If you are looking to buy something, a home, condo, car, furniture, appliances, any big ticket item, I strongly suggest you make an offer, hondle, bargain, go for blood. Ignore the price tag, retail price, manufacturers suggested price, just reduced price – whatever, and make an offer of what you are willing to pay for it, no matter how ridiculous it might seem. Go low, offer no more than 50% of the asking, maybe even lower. Don't be embarrassed, be arrogant that you have the money to offer!

Remember businesses need cash flow and there is little of it. The only places doing business are those selling at rock bottom prices. A store might have overhead to meet, auto dealers might have floor planning payments for cars in inventory and need a cash infusion – and need it bad! Especially if you're interested in a used car, go for the jugular. It is never an insult to offer to pay someone money. If they refuse, move on, someone else may be very glad to take your offer. It might save them from financial disaster.

As I left the last place, I handed the guy my card and suggested if they changed their minds, they could always call me, and if I hadn't yet bought from their competitors I might still be interested.

Be polite, don't rub it in too much, but be clear you understand they need to grovel a bit and have a major reality check. Actually, that's the hard part for me. It's all I can do to not crow things like "You arrogant bastards, this is where your greed got you and you deserve every pain of it. " But no, I can smile inside and keep it to myself. Payback's a bitch and usually delivered by one!

Just know if you're on the other side of my fence that a really charming and very canny old broad with nice smile, white hair and steely ice-blue eyes is out there gunning for you. Beware, I'm gonna' get ya!

This weekend I plan to visit a few more projects. I know I'll find a bargain if I just keep trying, there'll be someone out there bleeding profusely and this old vulture will get a deal. All it takes is perseverance and a hard heart. I'm not Curmudgeon Gal for nothing.

And next weekend I intend to go car shopping. Those welfare Queens are the next ones on my list for punishment. Who knows, I might get a deal there too.

This is the Curmudgeon Gal, Alice Donenfeld-Vernoux, signing off. Thank you for listening to me, I appreciate the time you take from your busy schedule.

This podcast is copyright 2009, Alice Donenfeld-Vernoux, all rights reserved. It is intended for podcast only and any other use requires the permission of the copyright owner, and that's me.

Bye for now and have a great day!

The Man At The Gate

The violence in Mexico has come uncomfortably close to home. Last week the guard in our community was kidnapped along with a teenage we was trying to protect. As of today, the boy is still missing and Juan, the guard, was murdered – a good man doing his job sadly paid grave consequences.

He's a good man, Juan,

Always a smile on his face,

A friendly wave to those known,

Stands guard as we sleep in peace.

    So what!

He's a kind man,

Helpful when needed

Giving a feeling of security

Nice to know he's there.

    Who cares?

He works to keep us safe,

To feed his family,

To come home at night

Satisfied by a good job.

    So what!

He stands his guard

In nights of rain or cold,

Or summer evenings

Balmy and warm.

    Who cares?

They came, the evil men

Bringing hating hearts;

A boy dragged into a car;

Juan tried to stop the crime,

Do his job!

Save the boy!

            So what!

Now he spends eternity

Headless and defiled

From barbaric disrespect

Dreams gone, family alone.

    Why?

This time we can't forget,

Can't chalk it up to drug cartels

Killing each other as they

Fight for Border drug trade.

    We must care!

This time it's different

A beloved son snatched

On his home street,

Safe, he thought, as boys do.

    So what?

Guarded by a man with

Simple job, stand and protect

Worthy of great respect

Both taken, one dead for sure.

    Won't someone care?!

Juan, a hero to us all.

And for what purpose

Was this death? This taking?

Just lives for some pesos?

     How dare they!

If we let this go, forget

About the hero and the son

How little value we give!

Who next gifts a life in vain?

    As a world watches

    Saying "So what! Who cares?"

And then, who'll be left

To stand at the gate

And watch a son safely

Ride his bicycle

In front of his father's house?

Curmudgeon Gals podcasts

Curmudgeon Gal web site

Beheaded!

Beheading is the new crime of choice, we have become so inured to violence it takes something horrific to get our attention. The violence of our North American crimes start to make the Somalia pirate and their code begin to look like the good guys.

Here in Baja, Mexico, we've been in the middle of drug cartels duking it out for the last year, headless bodies dumped by roadsides, in school yards, empty lots. They're a symbol of the contempt in which the crime lords hold the government and the public. What's another life or two? Just kill them and dump them like garbage, what a way to instill fear! Talk about terrorism! It's alive and well here on our own continent, we don't have to cross an ocean or a globe to find it.

And the Americans look across the border and think about how dangerous Mexico is. Yes, it's dangerous, but is it really more dangerous than the states? I'm not so sure. It's just more ghastly barbaric, we don't have too many beheadings in the states, just home grown serial killers by the score.

In San Diego, a few weeks ago, a woman in her 60's was kidnapped by a group of kids, a girl included, beaten and stuffed in the trunk of her car as they drove around with her for a day or so. How about the spate of multiple murders - upstate New York a double digit toll in one rampage, Midwestern father annihilated families of five in the blink of an eye, mother's offed their kids, a female Sunday school teacher killed a little girl and is labeled a sexual predator for what she did to the child before she killed her – I don't want to know what she did to the child, too much information that I don't need haunting my dreams, there are enough terrible images already, thank you very much. And the list goes on, hateful crimes, the dead stacked like so many logs waiting winter burning.

But one has come close to me and it took my usual fearlessness away. I live in a Mexican neighborhood, nice, in the center of town. The community pays the salaries of guards who stand at the gate in front and patrol the area at night.

Last week one of the guards tried to stop a kidnapping in front of the guard shack, for his efforts he was snatched along with the boy. The next day, our guard, Juan, a lovely man with a ready smile and earnest manner, was found naked, beheaded, wrapped in plastic and dumped in a stolen car in front of the Municipal Building in our town. His head was in the back seat.

The boy was kidnapped. Juan had a night stick and no chance against cars full of heavily armed kidnappers. In Mexico the bad guys do their dirty work in such large numbers they need two cars – big SUVs. No guard is a match for them. Nothing has been heard about the boy, but in the last several kidnappings, even when payment was made, the victims have been killed and tortured. Mexican kidnappers don't understand the business aspect – in order to get paid the victim is supposed to be returned in one piece, otherwise, why would anyone pay in the future? But there is such a strong cultural tie to the family, loved ones will do anything possible to get them back in one piece, even though they have the sinking feeling their efforts are in vain.

Somehow, violence has become all right. Gangs feel no compunction about beheading and torture. There is less than zero regard for human life and there seems to be enjoyment of acts more and more vicious. Is it a sign of the times?

The other night on the news, I heard the Pirates from Somalia have a code. Those they kidnap are not ever to be killed but returned alive and well. Now, they are threatening to kill all the US sailors they capture. It's in retribution for several pirates killed in the rescue of the American captain held for ransom. In an odd way, I understand. They view piracy as a "gentleman's business transaction" just a slight detention for money and no one gets hurt. The USA violated their code by killing them to affect a rescue. We are now obviously a country who doesn't know how to play the game correctly and we must be taught a lesson. It's the rules of engagement, Somalia style.

It would be great if there were rules of engagement in Mexico, but it's simply kill or be killed, and the more violent the better. Now, chills run down my spine when I go through the gate, remembering the brave man who tried to save the boy, and how he was repaid for his efforts. It's a dismal reminder that I live in another country filled with violence.

Then, back at home in California, the television is filled with more mayhem and murder, sexual predators, serial killers, home invasions, family murders, just another day in the life… not really much of a change from Mexico, except it's somehow a little more antiseptic. Bodies are neatly disposed of or hidden in many cases, the reportage is more matter of fact and less angst filled. Ho hummmm. Nothing much to report, just another rampage at a school or office or public building. Not anything to worry about, same old, same old, multiple murders, family killings, child abductions, sexual predators blah, blah, blah!

Maybe we are all desensitized. Too much "No Country for Old Men," "In Bruges" or like another slasher movie, a serial killer like in "Criminal Minds" and don't worry, the FBI, NCIS, BAU, Bones or a local CSI will find the bad guy and put him away. No big deal.

There is a disconnect between reality and fantasy. Sort of like, is 'Survivor' real and does the Bachelor actually marry his lady of choice? Is the news real or is it just another scripted show we're seeing? Are they really 'Lost' on that island or is it just a long reality show?

I think the problem is, life has become so frightening, so complicated; we don't want to distinguish between truth and fiction. The Manson murders were in 1969 and shocked the country. Two years later, Stanley Kubrick's brilliant "Clockwork Orange" was released with it's eerie fantasies, redolent of Manson home invasions. It was terrifying because it's failed solution to the crime problem by aversion therapy only pointed out the unsolvable problem of endemic violence inherent in our society.

It appears we have evolved to the point where the only way someone can get our attention is to make their crimes more and more horrific. Just a plain vanilla murder means nothing. We only pay attention when they are unbelievably violent or in staggering numbers.

Maybe the Somali pirates have it right after all. It might be a gentleman's trade to be a pirate, take something captive, a tanker, cruise ship, cargo ship, hold it for ransom and when you get paid, let the crew go without a scratch on them. Strange as it seems, they might be looking like the good guys these days.

Welfare Queens

At a time when the government is handing out money right and left, it is important for us to realize who the next Welfare Queens really are. You'll be surprised once you really think about it.

Hey, it's tax time again! Been thinkin' about where your tax money's going? I certainly have.

That's coming on the heels of sitting in my doctor's office reading a real estate magazine called "Dream Homes" for San Diego County advertising homes for sale. The cheapest I found was in the high five hundreds. Most of the listings were many millions of dollars, from four million up to thirty something as I recall. There were lots of them for sale too; maybe a couple of hundred and just in the one county.

These houses aren't for ordinary people; they're for the super affluent, the mega rich who can afford those prices. A plain old single digit millionaire won't be buying a house for twenty-three million dollars.

Once again, I'd like to know, who are the people who can afford to buy these homes? I've been asking the same question since 2004 and no one's ready to give me an answer. Are these the homes of the Chargers? Rock stars? Movie stars? Entrepreneurs?

I think more likely they're the homes of the Wall Street guys Mr. Bush so generously bailed out with taxpayers money. Could they also be the homes of real estate developers who made so much money from the predatory lending practices of the banks and mortgage brokers? Or, are they the homes of the real estate agents who raked in huge commissions on outrageous overpriced deals they pushed on greedy buyers.

Maybe they're the homes of the mortgage brokers who hired bullpens to bombard homeowners with telephone calls enticing them to increase their mortgages or take out equity loans. Still, it could be they're the homes of the auto dealers who put up-charges on popular model cars and pushed leases on buyers rather than letting them buy cars they could eventually own without monthly payments if times got tough.

On the other hand, maybe they're the homes of those who "flipped" one house after the other, using the rapidly expanding equity to jump to the next level as they took advantage of the ever more enticing and exotic bank products.

Or perhaps they could just be the homes of movie stars or producers, e-commerce mavens, song writers, successful business owners, computer game programmers, outstanding surgeons or just brilliant geeks who made better gizmos. These guys don't bother me; they earn their wealth by creating something, or at least entertaining us, not just scamming money in a wild ride more devastating than any pyramid scheme – ooops, sorry, forgot about Madoff.

But maybe I'm missing something. Maybe these homes are the correct prices because that's where the demand in the market lies. In the last eight years this country might have produced a continuum of mind boggling affluence no one is really aware of. If so, I'd like to know who these people are, wouldn't you? Are they people we read about in magazines or the tabloids or are they the unsung heroes of commerce, quietly taking their money to the bank in secrecy?

But why are there so many for sale? Are the underpinnings of the rich coming loose too? Are they in the shitter as much as the rest of us? Do they want to renegotiate their mortgages instead of facing foreclosure or is it just no longer politically correct to be so obviously arrogantly entitled?

After all, as we bailout the auto companies, the banks, Wall Street, AIG and on and on, don't forget that we're bailing out the rich – like executives, board members who voted for the dangerous and risky moves, shareholders with mega bucks, as well as pension funds, retirement funds, oil sheiks, foreign governments, mutual funds, hedge funds and so on. So far, few of the bank bailouts have filtered down to helping ordinary people in danger of losing their homes. The foreclosures just keep on coming, despite the television advertised scams where companies taking advantage of misery claim to be able to renegotiate mortgages and mortgage balances. Don't you believe it.

I don't have anything against rich people, I'd certainly like to be in that category too if given half a chance. But I really don't get it and think I'm missing something. Has this country progressed to the point where there are so many affluent people who can afford runaway luxury? Think palatial, think chateaux, think lords of the manor… or is it just ordinary folks acting out their fantasies of being so stinking rich they can afford to live well beyond their means? If that's the case, then we, as taxpayers, have the right to know, since we are the ones who'll be bailing them out very shortly in the next wave of prime mortgage failures.

Now I really like the term "bailout." It appeals to my dark sense of humor and is just the kind of bullshit spin we have all been fed for so long it's almost funny.

Really think about it, if we were actually bailing out poor people, then it could be called the "dole." The poor go on welfare and it's shameful.

Bad poor people, how could they be so thoughtless to be poor and cause the other upstanding citizens to have to give them handouts?

The term "welfare queens" used to specifically mean poor women, generally black women or white trash, sitting at home having a lot of kids to increase their welfare payments. We got enraged about it and made sure it wouldn't happen. All us taxpayers wanted to know where our money went since it was hard earned. This is all the vocabulary of giving a helping hand to the disadvantaged or, let's say it openly – the poor!

But it's all semantics. When we put the rich on the dole it's called a "bailout." The truth is the "welfare queens" are now auto makers, bankers and Wall Street brokers, AIG executives to name a few. How times have changed. But no one seems to think of them as on the dole. After all, we're used to thinking of them as the rich. Just get the right mindset pal, and get real. The next time you go to your bank or auto dealer for business, look them in the eye and address them as "you welfare queens." Now, I admit it might get you a punch in the eye, but let's be fair, that's what they are and it's time we make them realize it - even if they don't like it.

I didn't like it when they offered me a car with an up-charge. I think I'm going back to the same Chevrolet dealer and refer to everyone there as welfare queens. What the hell, so what if they don't like it, it is the truth, their salaries are now paid by me and you – the taxpayers of America. And don't forget it when next negotiating to buy a car. They need to drop the arrogance and know who's boss, and it's you! If everyone who went into a car dealership told the management they were going to write to their local congressman or woman to not go along with further bailouts, it might have some effect. And if nothing else, it might put a little humility into the mix. And I'll bet you'll walk out laughing, first good one in months…

When you see the outrageous homes for sale, ask a broker who the owners are. It might give you new insight on the true state of the Union and who is out there with their hands palm up.

It might be the home of someone now on the dole, with salary limited to only $500,000 a year – bad rich person, now on the dole, bad, bad you can only make a half a million a year, bad! They won't be able to afford the upkeep on their five to whatever million dollar home so we have to feel sorry for them. Their mortgage can be foreclosed if they can't dump the place. Be on the watch for short sales on palaces.

This is going to be the next shocker in the mortgage debacle, when the mega million dollar homes get foreclosed, and don't think it isn't now happening. It's just on the horizon, slipping into sight as the new economic stimulus bill comes into being with salary limitations. Then the next round of banks, mortgages, houses hit the foreclosure trail as the triple A mortgages fail. And it won't be pretty.

You'll be able to watch those who thought they were entitled as the new welfare queens hit the road. Ersatz chateau furnishings in moving vans pulling into driveways of ersatz tract châteaux developers sold on the cheap when they couldn't sell for the original seven figure prices they were asking. And the guys next door who bought at the original high price - they'll be moving out for cheaper seats when they realize their mortgage is much higher than the value of their homes.

So, in the future, we of the middle class, the benighted taxpayer class of America, have to keep our eyes on the people we're now supporting – those on the dole - the poor, and the new class of welfare queens who earned their title of nobility by being rich – our class of arrogance and entitlement - bankers, automakers and Wall Street boys. I hope that gives you a nice warm fuzzy feeling when you pay your taxes in a few days.

 

Curmudgeon Gal – Jon Stewart I Love You!

A love note to Jon Stewart. It's interesting that it takes a comedian to have the guts to ask the tough questions to the financial media…, like, where you and why didn't you see danger coming? I have a few suggestions of some more guys who need to have their feet put to the fire…so be prepared mortgage brokers, banks, real estate agents, mall developers. I'm sure I'll figure out a few more in the future.

Here I am today in beautiful Baja California, Mexico, you know, the place where the US Government tells you not to go. It's true, we're in the middle of a drug war, but for the average resident it's less dangerous than the USA with it's home invasions, bank robberies and rapes. Here, the druggies are fighting it out with an occasional attack on the police, but in the states, it seems that everyone is a target these days. I especially didn't like the idea of a bunch of kids kidnapping an old lady they tortured and kept in the trunk of her car. That's senseless violence just "for fun." At least here in Mexico they have a profit and turf motive – control of the drug routes to sell Americans the illegal substances they so crave.

But, as usual, I digress. I want to tell Jon Stewart I love him. I need to do it and he needs to hear it. If I wasn't such an old broad, I would seriously have his babies I love him so much, but I think perhaps I might better just be his second Mom – he's about the age of my kids.

The fact that he took on the financial media was just stunning and done in his usual brilliant manner. I encourage anyone who has not seen his discussion with Cramer of CNBC "Mad Money" go to the "Daily Show" web site and see it. Everyone else has been pussyfooting around these guys and Jon hoisted him on his own petard.

Now, I would like to see him take on the banking cum mortgage industry. That debacle is the dumbest yet and everyone shakes their heads as if it happened while they weren't looking. Give me a break!

How can anyone claim they didn't see it coming when you analyze all the markers staring us all in the face?

Let's look at them one by one.

1. Can you believe your home is growing in value by as much as 35% a year in some areas, when there is no inflation? Now honestly, how can that make sense? Where is the demand coming from? There is no huge population growth or exodus to many of these areas, with the possible exception of Las Vegas which was experiencing a population explosion.
   
2. How can you borrow against your equity when it's an imaginary figure? There is no equity to be actualized until a property sells. Then you recognize equity, until then, it's the same as sitting at the craps table with a big pile of chips in front of you. As long as you sit and play you haven't won anything. Once you cash in your chips and walk away from the table you're a winner – that is, as long as you don't continue gambling.
   
3. Actually, that's exactly what many people did. They took the equity from one house and put it down on a bigger, fancier and more expensive house, or, in other words, they parlayed their bet…just used another word for it by calling it "flipping."
   
4. When they took out their "equity" most people didn't use it to improve their home's value. No, they went on a spending spree and bought toys – new cars, boats, RV's, clothes, electronics. All those things that plummet in value as soon as they leave the store or dealership. What went on in people's heads to take a generally appreciating asset and trade it in for a depreciating one?
   
5. Anyone with their name on a tax roll was bombarded by calls day and night from bull pens selling mortgages. Didn't that raise a danger flag? At the same time, the airwaves and television were filled with commercials for mortgages. How can anyone forget Ditech or Lending Tree commercials? At the end, they made everyone feel like they were missing out on "almost free" money. After all, if you have 30 years to pay it back, we all know for sure that the balance will be a pittance as the value of homes escalates to the moon…except when it doesn't.
   
6. Banks were complicit in the scam with no requirement to prove income, allowing stated income to be the norm. Hell, you can state you make anything – and why not if the fools let you get away with it? If you can't pay, just give it back to them – but don't be mad if you have to.
   
7. Appraisals were made by tame appraisers who made money by being selected by the mortgage company. They would find out what the mortgage amount was going to be and made sure the appraised value was substantially above the loan. It's easy to justify when prices all around are going up and comps can be found at any value.
   
8. And how about real estate brokers who touted you on making offers on grossly overpriced homes just so they could make the payments on their new Hummer or Lexus? They were supposed to represent the buyer in many cases and they only represented their own interests.
   
9. Didn't anyone notice that mortgages were changing hands faster than an infant changes diapers? At one point I had three different mortgage holders in less than a year. It was hard to keep up with where I was to send my payment. If that was happening, then someone was making money in the sales of these things.
   
10. No one regulated anything! It was an orgy of greed!
    

    
     

    If the topic of conversation around a normal dinner table was "How can people afford these prices?" someone knew it was phony, I certainly did. And, if I could figure it out, why couldn't the regulators? Easy, they didn't care!
    

    We had a government for eight years who didn't give a rat's patootie about the middle class, they just wanted big business to make money, and they did.
    

    
     

    Now that's not to say it's all government's fault. I think we all have to take responsibility for the mess, but no one wants to, they just sit and finger point. I like to finger point too, but after all that's my job.
    

    
     

    From this debacle, the US housing market, according to the latest statistics from Bloomberg, lost 3.3 trillion dollars in 2008. The Federal Reserve reported a few days ago that households lost 5.1 trillion dollars, or 9% of their wealth, in the last 3 months of 2008. Is it any wonder everyone is feeling poor? Even the big guys are feeling the pinch. According to Forbes Magazine Bill Gates lost 18 billion and only has 40 billion left and even Warren Buffet lost 25 billion. But I don't think I'll feel too sorry for them, even though I have great respect for their philanthropy.
    

    
     

    Now back to Jon Stewart. Jon, why don't you take on the media for the housing mess as well? They allowed commercials touting mortgages with amazing rates and low entry levels, screamed that a family's wealth is mainly in their homes, and went along with the whole scam. I never heard a whimper from anyone that we were in the middle of a housing bubble. No mention was made of the McMansioning of America. No investigation was made of housing developments with starting prices in the low millions and no justification for price other than the developer could get it. No one gave a thought to the constant calls for mortgages, or the over development of so many areas of the country. It was media complacency as well that failed to point out what was happening. Or did they just not get it?
    

    
     

    Maybe that's the thing, the media is really stupid and doesn't have a clue that things might be going wrong – ya think?
    

    
     

    Well, here's another one that I could never figure out and maybe you can bring on the carpet. How can so many malls survive in suburban areas? I have a home in Orange County, also known as affluent bitch central. I was trying to count the number of malls in a five mile radius from my house and I came up with about 15 or so and gave up, but I know there are more. There are 3 Coldwater Creeks, 3 Costcos, 3 Home Depots and maybe more, I can't think of any Lowes, 2 Kohls, at least 2 Brighton's, god knows how many movies but at a wild guess I'll say at least 25 screens. There are strips filled with nothing but furniture stores, I can think of at least 4 in the same area. There are 4 Macy's, 2 Marshalls, 2 Home Goods, 2 Targets and so on. Doesn't someone have to close? How can all these stores stay in business? J. Jill and Talbots have given up their stores and gone back to their core business of catalogue sales. Circuit City is dead along with Bombay Company, Mervyns and Levitz. How many more are going to die this year?
    

    
     

    Now malls need zoning compliance and city council approval so there were plenty of people involved in the process. Didn't any of them scratch their heads and think about how all of them would survive? Or how their cities would look when they didn't? I guess not. Let's take these yahoos onto the carpet too!
    

    
     

    And, what will the face of the suburban landscape be? Are we going to have half empty malls looking like the broken down and shuttered Main Streets they replaced? It's already starting to happen. Every mall has empty shops and those numbers grow daily. I keep out of the Malls lately as it's too sad to see the sale signs; they have a frantic desperation about them that gives me the creeps. I see them as future ghost towns, empty and decaying as part of our dead culture. Now, when we think of those civilizations that just disappeared, we can add in Malls. Archeologists of the future will be studying escalators, food courts and manikins as symbols of a failed lifestyle and speculating on how they met their demise. We should paint the word "Greed!" on the walls in gang graffiti when they close as a sign to future generations.
    

    
     

    So Jon, please pick on the mortgage guys and the real estate developers, put their feet to the fire and then go after the mall companies that covered our landscape with purchase palaces. You know, those places where we went to spend money we didn't have to compete with those we thought had money we now find out they didn't have either.
    

    Alice Donenfeld-Vernoux
    

Website: www.curmudgeongal.com

Podcasts: http://www.curmudgeongal.libsyn.com