Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, andres balcazar


My latest visit to the city brought me to a neighborhood called Jardín Balbuena. It's an interesting part of the city because of the many people who have lived there for 40 years plus.

It's location, though, is both ideal and terrible.

The neighborhood's proximity to the airport means there are airplanes flying overhead at regular intervals. And then there's the hand horn if the pork rinds merchant passing on his bicycle, the whistle of the rag collector, the cry of the water delivery truck, the clanking of the gas delivery truck, the beeping of taxies, car alarms going of several times a day, and the neighbor's need to share his tunes with absolutely everyone.

You can get anything in the world that you could possibly want here, except for peace and quiet.

© dan taylor


I'm going to Mexico City tomorrow. In preparation, I've been reading up on topics that will make my trip productive and uncomplicated.

During my hunt, I found a great website that summarizes WiFi options in the city.

I called AT&T because they are one of telmex's roaming partners. Telmex used to be the only telephone and telephone-related option. There are competitors now, but TELMEX is still the most common, so I have a much better shot at finding a ton of hot spots.

My first obstacle was that a Premier membership is required for access to AT&T's roaming partners. This means a one-year contract. No thanks.

My second obstacle was dialing the toll free number for Telmex (01-800-123-2222). Despite dropping the 01, the call didn't connect. So I decided to check out a different company: Boingo.

And there was the third obstacle: limits on receiving email. It lets emails be received, but there are restrictions and issues with sending.

So three strikes and I'm done. I'll just buy a multifon card at the airport.

© Steven Fernandez



Wow, it's hot this summer! It's kept me indoors much more than I would have liked.

Beyond avoiding discomfort, we have to be heart smart. On the whole, heat makes your heart beat faster to help your body's cooling system work properly.

For those of Latin American heritage, it's especially important to baby your ticker. According to the American Heart Association, heart disease and stroke are the number one cause of death among Latinos and Hispanic Americans.

Be safe this summer:

* Drink lots of water
* Stay cool
* Eat heart smart foods

© bandita


I was reading in the paper this morning that one in four people of Latin American heritage make early withdrawals from their retirement accounts.

Experts say it's due to the poor economic situation we're going through. The most common situation is when a person switches jobs and takes a check instead of rolling their 401K over to some other retirement account.

People just cash out and start a new 401K wherever they land. But by doing this, you have taxes to pay and a penalty of roughly 10% for early withdrawal... and worse, the money taken out doesn't have a chance to grow.

Experts are concerned and remind us to leave that money for the future, taking it out only under the most urgent circumstances. There are more and more people in that over 65 population. We live longer, so we need to make sure to plan for those extended golden years.

As with so many things, education is key.

Survey revealed that 43 % of Hispanics rate their knowledge of investing or savings for retirement as â€"knowing nothing” compared to 12 % for all workers. -NHCOA

It's important that we become more financially savvy to ensure the kind of retirement we dream of.

What: Miss Latina Canada 2009

When: Sunday August 24, 2008 at 7:00pm

Where: Holiday Inn, Hotel & Suites (7095 Woodbine Ave at Highway 404 and Steeles Ave) Toronto, Canada

Participants will be making appearances through out Toronto from August 20 - 25th while they are here. Events include shooting the annual Miss Latina Canada 2009 Calendar, participation in the CNE parade for the 129th anniversary of The Exhibition, a swimsuit and Evening gown pre show at one of Toronto's newest HotSpot's, and participating in a Toronto Sun, Sunshine Girl campaign.

This event, is the first time in Latin-Canadian history, that women, business, and media have worked collaboratively across the country to produce the first and only national event catered to the Hispanic community. The purpose is to demonstrate the strength of the Latin American presence and market in Canada.

All activities are being filmed for the Miss Latina Canada 2009 reality series, set to begin airing on Thursday, August 28, 2008 at 8:30 pm across Canada on Nuevo Mundo Telelvison, with simultaneous webcast at ESTEAM.TV. The program will also air in 29 European countries to over 11 million viewers at the end of the year.

Read the full press release.

© ...steph...



My legs itch, I nicked myself twice, and I want to know who came up with the bright idea that women should shave!

Did you know Neanderthals used to engage in this pain-in-the-butt ritual? That can't be a good sign. And women specifically have engaged in depilatory practices since about 4,000 B.C.

That's how long humanity has been hung up on smooth legs. It's madness I tell you.

And even though I've been at this for over half my life, I haven't found the magic formula to make it simple and worry free. And yes, I've read up on the topic.

I'm thinking laser-zapping them to oblivion is the only real solution.

© mushroom and rooster



Every year the State Department's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons puts out a report on human trafficking in order to raise awareness on this modern form of slavery.

Part of the report sorts international governments according to how much their efforts conform to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000.

Now this is a US law, not an international law, but tracking this is one way the US tries to raise awareness on the topic, recognize the efforts of other countries, and encourage other governments to do more.

Countries are classified in four tiers.

"Tier 1 countries aren't perfect, but they meet what are called the minimum standards for combating human trafficking in the U.S. law that governs how we prepare the report."-Ambassador Mark Lagon, Director of the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons

The only Tier 1 country in Latin America is Colombia. That's it. All other Latin American nations are in Tier 2. The ambassador mentions significant improvement in Mexico, Venezuela, and Brazil.

As for the US, it does not situate itself in the tier system, but does report to congress and make records public on domestic performance in fighting this heinous abuse.

Human Trafficking is the third largest global criminal enterprise, and Latin America, while not the most vulnerable, is still a major source for this market that buys and sells men, women, and children.

It's worth learning more and increasing our understanding.