Goodbye America, Goodbye Mexico

Living in a foreign country, I have little opportunity to read a newspaper from the U.S. anymore, and I miss that. Usually a day after they are printed, some newspapers including USA Today, The New York Times, Dallas Morning News, L.A. Times and San Francisco Chronicle are available at a few stores. But they can cost up to $4.00 for a weekday edition, and close to $10 for a weekend edition … all for news that is 24-48 hours old. So, online reading has become my “newspaper” of choice these days.

However, occasionally, someone from the U.S. will come down to visit somewhere here in Mexico and sometimes they will bring the local newspaper that they picked up at the airport from wherever their flight originated. They don’t know the newspaper, which they forgot the throw in the garbage can or leave on the plane, is like gold down here. The first lucky recipient will read it, pass it on to another ex-pat, who passes it on to someone else. And eventually, usually a week after it was printed, the old tattered stale piece of news is finally tossed. It’s just another one of those obscure tidbits of life here. Which brings me to this story.

Last Friday, some owners here (who live most of the year in Iowa) had friends arrive from Des Moines, and they brought the Des Moines Register with them. Today, the three day old paper was gratefully passed on to me. I read it pretty much cover to cover. I have never been there but Des Moines seems like a pretty presentable city.

While most of the news from last Friday’s Register had passed its “use by” date, there was one article that was news to me, and it caught my attention. It was about the final day at the Electrolux factory in Webster City, IA. After 72 years of making washers and dryers, the plant shut down on Thursday. 850 people were out of work. Click HERE for a link to the story.

Electrolux is not getting out of the business of making washers and dryers. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Electrolux is terminating the jobs of 850 people in Iowa and is opening a brand new factory … in Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. It’s the same Ciudad Juarez that is now considered the most dangerous city in the world.

When I was still working, I went to Ciudad Juarez to do a couple of stories. It was back in the early 2000’s and Juarez was a bustling (and crime ridden) city. Despite its many drawbacks, it had several outstanding assets that were too good to be true for U.S. companies who cared more about profits than they did about people. First, it was on the border, just over the Rio Grande from El Paso. Second, NAFTA had just made commerce between the U.S. and Mexico much easier. And third, U.S. companies soon discovered that the employees in the U.S. who were making $15 an hour plus benefits could be replaced by Mexicans who jumped at jobs paying $15 a day, even though they provided few if any benefits. As a result, RCA, Philips, General Motors, General Electric, Krupp’s, and many more companies, abandoned US factories and workers, fled over the border, and set up shop in Mexico.

The cost of producing TVs and toasters and tiddlywinks suddenly dropped, and profits on those products, shipped back to the U.S. soared. CEOs were elated, shareholders were ecstatic, and the Mexican workers were happy to have jobs. In fact, they were so happy, there was an exodus from smaller towns across Mexico to Ciudad Juarez where the factories couldn’t hire enough workers (at $15 a day). The only losers, the American work force left in the unemployment lines.

What surprised me a bit about the story I read in the Register regarding Electrolux moving to Juarez was that from what I understand, the rush to Juarez is pretty much over. Turned off by crime, many companies are reluctant to move to Juarez. And many of those that were already there, have done to their Mexican workers what they did to their former U.S. workers. They have shuttered their plants and are relocating … not back to the U.S. but to China. Like it was in U.S. cities where manufacturing was the backbone of the local economy, the impact has been devastating in Juarez. Thousands of Mexicans who fled poverty elsewhere in the country with the promise of “good paying” jobs from U.S. companies in Juarez have been abandoned. Even when we were there nearly a decade ago, the luster of Juarez was starting to wear off as acre after acre of once bustling factories and distribution centers were empty. America’s loss, became Mexico’s loss … and China’s gain.

There are still obvious advantages to locating in Juarez for major corporations. Shipping costs to the U.S. are low, and the employment costs are cheap. And the companies argue that had they not tapped into a lower cost production model, they would not be able to compete in a global market where China continues to undercut many competitors. It would be nice to be able to say that you are proud to buy products made in the U.S. But increasingly, the challenge is to find one.

Lessons on living from a dying friend

Most of you never met Alan Wood. It’s really too bad. What happened to Alan is also a downright shame. I remember vividly to this day the phone call we received from Alan on a Friday night in January, 2007. At age 57, he was in great shape, ran regularly, and went to the gym, not one ounce of fat on him. Yet, despite all of those good things, he had not been feeling quite right for a while. He had some tests done. He called that January night to tell us the tests had come back. He had pancreatic cancer. His doctors gave him six months to live. He lasted only five and a half.

I remember Alan today because April 1 is his birthday. He would have been 61 today. But I also remember Alan today for another reason. It is because of Alan that I am here, living a pretty relaxed life, on the beach, in a cool resort town in Mexico, doing what I want to do, when I want to do it. It’s called living the good life. And three years ago, it replaced the daily grind and pressures of going to work, answering to bosses, meeting deadlines, commuting, and having a few scant hours to do the things I really wanted to do.

In his final five months of life, Alan was really too sick to enjoy much of anything. He still would come, on occasion, to the country home we shared with him in Guerneville, along the Russian River north of San Francisco, but as his health deteriorated, those trips became less frequent. However, during those times, we had a lot of opportunities to talk. His sole message: “Whatever you do, don’t let what happened to me happen to you.”

Like most of us, Alan worked, and worked hard, during his life. He bought a home in San Francisco back in the 1970s and was able to pay it off. He was half owner of the home we shared in Guerneville and it was nearly paid off. He had a new car. He paid for it with cash. He usually planned a couple of good vacations every year. And he really wanted to leave work. His accountant told him he could, and he could retire comfortably at an early age. But Alan figured he’d work longer, into his sixties, to assure that he would have more than he really needed as he grew old. If only he had known. If only any of us had known.

One weekend as his health was failing, Alan said he wanted to talk with us. That’s when he asked us to use him as an example of what not to do … remember “Don’t let what happened to me happen to you.” He told us to realistically look at our finances, and consider what life would be like if we quit work right now. If it means not being able to buy a new car every two or three years, that’s OK. If it means not spending hundreds of dollars every couple of months for new clothes, you won’t need them anyway. Maybe you won’t go out for dinner twice a week, but you’ll have the time to make some pretty great meals at home and have a fun time doing it. And imagine, just imagine, not waking up to an alarm clock, not commuting, not doing reports. It would be almost like being on vacation for the rest of your life.

It was all welcome advice. And as we researched what Alan was telling us, we discovered that with some minor adjustments, we could do it. So we did. Within a year, we both quit work, sold the big home in the Bay Area, moved to a smaller place in Mexico, and never… not even once .. never looked back.

So today on his birthday, I remember Alan with fondness, and with great thanks for his words and wisdom that changed my life. And while you likely never had the opportunity to meet him, it would make Alan happy if he knew others still now hear his advice … and achieve what he never did, before it is too late.

A Foxy Move

First off, I wish to acknowledge that some of the finest journalists I know work for Fox News. I’m serious. People that I have had the privilege to work with over the years including, but not limited to Adam Housley, Claudia Cowan, Tom Whitaker, are honest, fair and aggressive journalists who work their butts off in the field to deliver compelling and well balanced stories (in fact, as I write this, Tom is on his way now to Libya, and Adam has spent a good deal of time recently in Japan). I greatly admire them and want to make it clear, these are not the people this blog is about.

No, instead it is about Fox News in general. The so called “news” network that continues to amaze me and continues to bamboozle Americans into thinking the U.S. is speeding along the road to ruin and it is all because we elected Barack Obama President. The latest shining example of Fox’s penchant to unduly influence the American psyche comes directly from the managing editor of Fox News’ Washington, DC Bureau. Today, it was revealed that Bill Sammon has admitted that during the 2008 campaign, he repeatedly told viewers that Barack Obama believed in socialism, even though he knew such claims were “rather far fetched.”

The revelations came forth today in an article by respected journalist Howard Kurtz. His complete article can be found here.

Coming from Fox News, it is not surprising. Nonetheless, here is my dilemma. Millions of well intentioned, tough perhaps misguided viewers each day turn to Fox News to receive “the news.” And when they see reports of some of my former colleagues mentioned above, they actually do get “the news.” But what happens when Adam Housley signs off from Tokyo, or Tom Whitaker files his report from Tripoli, and moments later on the same “news” station, you have reporters knowingly spreading false information? It not only unfairly influences public opinion, it denigrates legitimate news programs. And it unfairly creates a contentious atmosphere in America where, as we have seen in recent years, there is so much name calling and so much animosity, little gets accomplished.

Historically, we have known the difference between fact and opinion in broadcast. It was clearly labeled as such, just as the editorial page is separated in newspapers. But with the demise of the Fairness Doctrine, which marked the end of an era where broadcasters actually were required to be “fair and balanced,” the lines between fact and opinion have mostly dissolved. As a result, viewers will see a report from Japan on the latest disaster recovery efforts in one minute, and the next minute they will be told that Obama is a socialist (or doesn’t have a US birth certificate, or is a Muslim, or ….).

I am not for more government regulation, but even I wonder how far can American society go without some sort of mandate that requires honesty in journalism. Opinion is fine, but it should be labeled as such. Any attempt by a so-called “news” organization to misrepresent opinion as fact to sway the public’s perception is … well, it’s worse than socialism.

Safe Computing

If you're like me, backing up your computer is one of those things that you keep putting off. It's a hassle, it can be time consuming, and it's really not something that is top of mind. But it should be.

Last year, the hard drive on my six month old HP laptop crashed (yes, six months old ... it will be my last HP computer, but that's another story). There was that terrible feeling that I had lost important documents and financial data that I truly needed. Fortunately, I had subscribed to Moxy's online backup system, and was able to retrieve information that otherwise would have been lost. And relatively quickly, I accessed the data and downloaded it to an auxiliary computer.

Mozy is an excellent program, particularly at $55 per year for unlimited off-site data storage. However, it is not such a bargain when that annual fee jumps to nearly $120 for unlimited storage, and that is exactly what Moxy did last week. It boosted it basic fees and no longer provides unlimited back-ups for one set price. The sudden rate hike sent me searching for another way to keep my data safe and keep my wallet from bleeding.

After receiving the notification from Mozy that my fees would be increasing in just two days, I backed up my computer onto an external hard drive that I have then cancelled my Mozy subscription. I then started looking for a new off site back-up provider.

Reading reviews, I decided to try CrashPlan. Nearly everyone said it was a solid program, reliable, user friendly, and inexpensive. Plus, they were offering a discount to former Mozy users who were migrating to a lower cost alternative. It started off great, but CrashPlan soon became a disappointment. Constantly, their site would dump me. I would have to reset the upload only to have it disconnect again within 10 or 15 minutes. And when it was actually backing up my data, it was so painfully slow that it it would have taken more than a month to backup everything. When I contacted customer service, they were quick to respond with suggestions, but nothing worked. I eventually cancelled, and received a refund.

Now, I'm trying Carbonite. Though the reviews for Carnbonite were not altogether positive (funky user interface and inability to back up all material without jumping through some electronic hoops), it is a company that advertises on Howard Stern, who regular readers know I listen to daily. The price is the same as Mozy before Mozy's rates skyrocketed. Plus, you get a two week trial period before you pay anything just to see how it works. And, with the promotion code "Howard100" you get two months free. My initial take on it is positive. The user interface isn't that complicated (in fact, it's rather basic), they do explain what to do to add more files to their basic backup, and since I installed it and began running the program a few hours ago, it is moving right along rapidly. In fact, it seems to back up files faster than Mozy did even with my relatively slow "high speed" connection through the local Mexican Internet provider (Telmex: 2mbs download, .2mbs upload). Unless something crashes or changes, I'll likely fork over the $55 annual fee to Carbonite after the trial period ends in a couple of weeks.

In the end, it doesn't matter really who you go with or what you do to protect your data (though I find the thought of backing up on DVD's or CD's a bit antiquated). Just do it ... to avoid the inevitable time when 1) someone steals your lap top, 2) your hard drive crashes, or 3) you are far away from your computer and you need to download important documents or files.

Reality versus perception

I have written about this before, the reality of life in most parts of Mexico versus the perception that this is a war torn drug infested country. The issue came to the forefront again the past several days as several major cruise lines, including Carnival and Royal Caribbean, announced they are curtailing their west coast Mexican Riviera cruises.

While the threats of drug violence were listed as one of the reasons for cruise lines' departure from Mexico, other sources say that the itineraries had run their course over the years. Most cruisers had sailed on the Mexico run at least once, if not several times. And they had already experienced the shore excursions, which are a major revenue source for the cruise lines. As a result, a friend of mine who works for the cruise lines told me that passengers on the Mexican cruises simply weren't spending as much money once on board as they used to.

Nonetheless, the recent cruise ship announcements to leave Mexico simply bolster the belief that setting foot on Mexican soil is tantamount to a death wish. Yet, those of us who live in Puerto Vallarta, and those who have visited here on vacation, know that is simply not the case.

My good friend, George Warren, who is an Emmy Award winning TV reporter with more than 30 years experience covering major stories around the world was visiting us here in Puerto Vallarta this past weekend when the cruise lines made their announcement. Seeing first hand the reality versus perception, he went into reporter mode during his vacation and shot a story which aired this week on ABC in Northern California. HERE is the link to his story. Click on the "Play Video" link on the right side of the page to see the broadcast report.

http://www.news10.net/news/local/story.aspx?storyid=118151

George is a straight shooter, and he admitted before he came down here he had a few reservations. After his four day stay, he said he can't wait to come back, and next time will come with his wife and 9 year old daughter.

We continue to enjoy a peaceful, happy, and exciting life here. But remain frustrated with the persistent question, "How could you stand living in such a dangerous place." As I wrote in the comments section of George's story, responding to one such ill-informed reader, "Saying you don't want to visit a predominantly safe resort town because of violence 1500 miles away is like saying you'd never go to Yosemite because a gunman killed a bunch of people at a Safeway in Tucson."

Christmas Letter 2010

Merry
Christmas
*
Happy
2011

For the past few weeks, I have been pondering whether or not to write my annual Christmas letter. After all, with the ongoing blog I write on occasion, with Facebook, and all the other ways we stay connected socially, we all pretty much know what we are all doing all the time anyway. But abandoning the Christmas letter seemed a bit Scrooge-like, so here we go, 2010 style, online, on the blog (if I had mailed it from Puerto Vallarta, you might have gotten it in time for Christmas, 2011).

If there was an event or series of events that characterized 2010 for us, it would have to be travel, and then some travel, and after that travel. The biggest trip of the year began in mid June and ended in mid July. After driving back to Palm Springs from Puerto Vallarta in the old 2002 GMC Envoy (a real workhorse, especially in Mexico), we headed for LA and the flight to London.

That marked the beginning of two back to back cruises aboard the Holland American Eurodam. For nearly three weeks, we sailed through Scandinavia, the Baltics, and onto Russia. The scenery through the fjords was spectacular (at one point I jokingly said it made Yosemite look like a dump), the culture enchanting, and the history, particularly in St. Petersburg, Russia very revealing. But Europe was just the beginning of our summer journeys.

After returning to California, we spent a little time in the desert, but then headed out on a long car trip. The first stop was visiting our moms in Nevada City and Auburn, then onto Clear Lake with my mom for a week. I did a camping trip in the Sierra with my old buds from News10 ... great fun. Next, Kurt & I headed north for a few days in Portland, then onto Vancouver, BC where we stayed in the center of the city, on Granville Island, on a houseboat. Though very expensive (like European type prices), we thought Vancouver was the best international city we had visited in some time (including all the places we had just seen on the cruise). We’re going back next summer, this time for two weeks.

After Vancouver, we hopped two ferries to tiny, quiet Gabriola Island and a house right on the water. Next, it was onto to New York for a week, then New England, and eventually back to Palm Springs. At the end of October, we packed up the car with all the things we can’t buy here in Mexico (everything from Kalamata olives to a pineapple corer), and did the three day drive back home … stopping in Tucson, Navajoa, and Mazatlan … before getting to Puerto Vallarta.

While travel pretty much dominated our live, the dominant question that we receive is “Do you really feel safe living in Mexico?” Without hesitation, yes! After hearing all the media reports about how taking a trip to and through Mexico was a gamble with your life, we were wondering what had changed since last spring and what we were getting into making the 1200 mile trek. We knew about the drug violence, but had not encountered any of it, even in the remotest sense, in PV. Last spring, when we took a road trip through Guadalajara, Zacatecas, Chihuahua, then into Tucson, we did see an increase in military roadblocks, but it was no bother for us. In fact, the biggest problem we had then was crossing into the U.S. at Douglas, AZ where a nasty U.S. immigration officer spent 30 minutes searching the car, luggage (leaving clothes scattered about), under the car, brought in dogs, etc. The only thing missing was a cavity search! When he found nothing, he pretty much threw our passports back at us at said “Move on.”

Anyway, the trip back here in October was without incident. While there are serious problems in some border towns, we did not see any sign of it in Nogales, or anywhere along the way. There were more Federales than ever, and we got stopped at one of their roadblocks. But they are always friendly to us (hint to the U.S. immigration jerk at Douglas … take some lessons from your Mexican counterparts). While the highways and toll roads are as good as they are in California, the biggest problem we had was with the smaller roads. Major storms during the summer did heavy damage to the main highway north of PV. Several bridges were washed out and the road is gone in some places, replaced by a narrow ribbon of dirt. But it is all part of the Mexican experience.

Speaking of which, we continue to enjoy living here more and more all the time. Kurt has become very involved with the Puerto Vallarta Tennis Club and plays several times a week. My physical exercise is limited to the gym 4-5 times a week, swimming, and long walks through town and along the beach. My mental exercise comes from the Spanish classes I am taking at the University of Guadalajara campus here in PV. In addition to Spanish classes, the University offers English classes. Since our class breaks are at the same time, the Mexicans learning English and gringos learning Spanish meet in the school courtyard. I have developed some good friendships with the Mexican students, and we often meet in the evening for a few cervezas and to practice our respective languages. You couldn’t call me fluent in Spanish, but I know enough now to get us through almost any situation we encounter. I’m also becoming very involved with a charity group called Becas Vallarta, which provides scholarships to outstanding students in PV who come from very poor backgrounds. Without the financial help, many would not even be able to be in junior high school or high school. They are great kids and truly appreciative.

After nearly three years in Mexico, we have gotten into a real relaxed groove. The stress and expectations and frustrations that we brought with us here when we first retired have been largely replaced with the casual attitude exhibited by the Mexicans. They are genuinely wonderful and gracious people. We accept that things don’t always get done when you expect them to get done (especially compared to U.S. time frames), but you don’t fret over it. Manana is soon enough. When our Internet went out right after we came back in October, Telmex told us it would be three days before they could fix it (actually it was five days). Their suggestion in the meantime: “Ask a neighbor if you can use theirs until we can fix yours.” You quickly learn you can’t let it bother you like it would in the U.S. because here by demanding, threatening, or yelling at someone to get the job done sooner does no good whatsoever. You just accept it. The results are positive. Lower stress (along with better eating and more exercise) has naturally reduced my cholesterol levels to the point that no longer do I need Lipitor, which was first prescribed to me about seven years ago in the U.S.

This Christmas we are returning to California for a short trip to visit our families. Kurt’s mom is doing great, playing golf regularly and will come to visit us in February. My mom had back surgery in October to relieve severe pain, and it appears to have been successful. She hopes to visit in April.

As 2010 draws to a close, we feel very fortunate for health, happiness, friends, and family. We truly hope that 2011 brings good fortunes to you and your loved ones as well.

Home again

To be able to sit on the patio, 8:00 AM, glass of fresh squeezed OJ in hand, watching the fishing boats in the bay. For me, that is home. And it is so good to be here.

The three day journey starting in Palm Springs with stays in Tucson, Navojoa, and Mazatlan is a long one, at times tedious, and fortunately uneventful. According to the GPS, we covered 1471.2 miles and were on the road for 24 hours and 50 minutes. Average speed was 59.2 miles per hour. Those are the facts.

What the GPS doesn’t tell you is that the toll roads (which cost $83.92 in total), were the most deserted we have ever seen them. Traveling mainly through farmland on a four lane road that resembles Highway 99 between Fresno and Bakersfield in central California, there were lots of trucks including an increasing number from major U.S. trucking companies who can now travel in Mexico thanks to NAFTA. And we saw a few caravans, mostly snow birds heading south in their RVs and fifth wheels, linking up with others believing safety is in numbers. There are actually websites now where Americans and Canadians traveling into Mexico can meet online and arrange a rendezvous point so they can keep close watch on each other.

But what struck us most of all on this trip were the large number of Federales patrolling the highways. In their distinctive dark blue and white patrol cars, there were nearly as many Federales on the road as there were passenger cars. And unlike on previous trips where if you did see a Federale, he was usually traveling alone, now each car has three officers in it.

On this trip, we were stopped at only one road block between Culiacan and Mazatlan. With their finger on the triggers of their AK-47s, about two dozen Federales were stopping every vehicle. Our guy asked where we were from, where we were going, and if we were tourists. When we told him we lived in Puerto Vallarta and were returning home, he waved us through, without searching the car and without even asking for our immigration papers.

Everywhere we went on this trip, and now that we are back home, we encountered life as we have known it for years in Mexico. People living their lives without fear. Yesterday afternoon, our housekeeper and her husband stopped by with their 18 month old girl. They were excited about going trick or treating tonight (Halloween, an American holiday that is slowly taking hold in Mexico). They will join hundreds of others on the main street on Puerto Vallarta along the ocean, The Malecon, where there will be clowns, vendors, and lots of candy. To them, the drug wars are non-existent. And for the vast majority of Mexico and Mexicans, that is the case.

When I was a reporter and was dispatched to a “disaster” scene, we would try to find the best visual example of that particular disaster and interview those people hardest hit by it. If a fire swept through 100 homes in San Diego, we would show street after street of burned out structures with only chimneys standing and talk with those left homeless. Naturally, we didn’t show that the 100 homes lost represented a little tiny fraction of all the homes in San Diego. Still, the perception was that all of San Diego was on fire and the entire town was devastated. The same is true of what is happening in Mexico. Yes, there is the drug violence, and yes there are some towns and neighborhoods that are best to avoid. But like that little tiny fraction of the homes in San Diego that burned, the drug wars here are impacting a little tiny fraction of a country that remains among the most hospitable for Americans. And I am glad to be home.

The Lonely Road to Puerto Vallarta

The blood was flowing in the ditches. The sidewalks were strewn with decapitated bodies. As we traveled the main highway, first through Nogales, then Hermosillo, and Ciudad Obregon, bullet riddled bodies swayed in the breeze attached by ropes to freeway overpasses. Yes, we knew we were back in Mexico. The Mexico of 2010. Well, at least that’s the image so many Americans have based on news coverage of the drug wars here. It makes for titilating headlines and stories of horror. But ... the reality is something quite different.

I will admit that after being in the United States and Canada for the past five months, I became increasingly concerned about how safe it would be to drive back home to Puerto Vallarta this fall. The news coverage of the violence along the border was incessant. The evidence was overwhelming. Anyone thinking about going to Mexico, particularly those driving through the war town northern states, without a doubt possessed a death wish.

Not to discount the tremendous toll violence has taken. I don’t need to go into that since the media has done a yeoman’s job depicting Mexico as nearly Afghanistan-like. But as we passed the border today, stopped at immigration, waited along with a dozen other Americans and Canadians waiting to get their car permits, then headed south on 15D, the newly paved four lane toll road, we realized the Mexico we know and love is still intact, still very inviting, and still very much alive. However, there are a few differences.

One thing we did notice is that the traffic here, at least on the highway between cities, is much lighter than normal. There are still the caravans of Mexican trucks and buses, but the cars, and trucks, and RVs with plates from California, Arizona, Washington, British Columbia, Alberta are significantly fewer than before. There were stretches where we would go for 10 to 15 minutes and barely see another vehicle.

Tonight, we are staying in the Del Rio Hotel in the small town of Navojoa. It’s clean, comfortable, pretty good Internet, great restaurant, and Mexican cable TV that has the Giants game (in Spanish). We are happy. But unlike the three times we have stayed here before, the hotel is not very busy. And while we did see one car with a Colorado plate in the parking lot here, the rest here are from Mexico … Sonora, Jalisco, Aguascalientes. The media has made Mexico a place of fear. And Americans and Canadians, some of whom are "afraid of their own shadows," have responded by refraining ... refraining to visit a truly welcoming neighbor.

Granted, we have not made it back to Puerto Vallarta yet. There are two more days of five to six hour journeys. We could be car jacked, we could be shot (oh wait, that's Oakland). But being back in Mexico, with its beauty, its culture, and most important its people, makes me feel that I have already come home.

The Home Stretch

Travel is a pretty cool thing. But there comes a point where you really can get too much of it. When I was working, I thought there just couldn’t be enough time off, and now that I don’t work, I still think that. Not working is a dream come true. But living out of a suitcase for more than five months does wear on you. And thus, as I approach my last few days in the U.S. for this summer, I must say I am looking forward to getting in the car Tuesday, and heading south.

The past 20 weeks since we left our home in Puerto Vallarta have been filled with adventure, and lots and lots of travel. But somehow this summer, unlike like summer, it seemed more “manageable.” Perhaps that’s because it was spread out a bit, and we stayed in most places for more than just a few days.

Probably the highlight of the summer was the Scandinavia/Russia cruise. Really spectacular scenery and culture and places we had not seen before.

Spending ten days in a houseboat in the heart of Vancouver, BC, was also a very cool experience … so much so, that next summer, we’re going back to the same place for two weeks.

New York in the fall was totally fun and entertaining, and then heading to New England for a week for the fall colors was a great way to wrap up our travels.

Shorter strips to Laguna, Clear Lake, Portland, and Gabriola Island filled out the summer. And, for the past month, we’ve just been hanging in the desert where the weather has cooled.

But it is time to move on. We will stay just north of the border on Tuesday. Then we will cross into Mexico at Nogales Wednesday morning and put as much distance as we can between that crime plagued region of Mexico and our first stop, probably in Navojoa. Thursday night we should make it to Mazatlan and by early Friday afternoon, we’ll pull into PV, the final leg of the memorable summer of ’10.

Time Warner vs. ABC: The Fight Rages On

Last night while watching the news on KABC, Channel 7 in Los Angeles, the brief ad appeared. I learned that on September 2, KABC along with all ESPN channels, Disney, ABC Family may be pulled from Time Warner Cable because of a dispute over what Time Warner should pay ABC to carry those stations. I get TV programming here in the desert from Time Warner. So I could be impacted. And it gripes me. Here's why.

In the early days, cable existed mostly to bring broadcast stations from larger cities to viewers in rural areas who were so far away, they couldn't pick up the channels with an antenna. It was a low priced service (I paid $5 a month when I lived in Quincy to get about 12 stations from Sacramento, Chico, Redding, and San Francisco). It helped provide TV entertainment and news to remote regions, and it helped the broadcasters extend their reach. Obviously, the cable TV model has changed drastically since then.

Cable companies no longer view their primary roll as one of offering local stations to distant communities. Now, they produce and sell their own products, act as a conduit for their own programs, and provide hundreds of channels with niche programs. They also provide Internet and phone service. They primarily serve large metropolitan areas now, not remote communities. In essence, they are now competing with the local broadcast stations

The cable companies also carry those local broadcast stations, and for good reason. That's because the vast majority of cable subscribers still watch local broadcast stations (ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox) more than anything else on cable. The cable companies know that the broadcast stations carry a lot of value to their customers, and the broadcast stations know it as well. As such, several years back, broadcasters began demanding that cable companies pay them for the right to carry their programming. And that's where the problem is.

Cable companies argued that since the broadcast stations provided their signal for free, over the air, cable companies shouldn't have to pay for it. Broadcasters told the cable companies that's fine, then don't carry our stations and see how many of your customers still want to pay $60 a month for TV and not receive their local stations. Agreements were eventually reached, but as those contracts expire now, broadcasters want more money for their product, cable companies don't want to pay it.

The solution is fairly simple, but one that the cable companies have vigorously fought. That is, turn cable into an a la carte system where cable customers can pick and choose what stations they want. The satellite service that we have in Mexico works pretty much that way.

You could go online to the cable provider for your area. See a list of all the channels they offer along with the price per channel. You simply check off those you are willing to pay for. For example, if KABC wanted to charge the cable company 50 cents per month per subscriber, the cable company could in turn offer it to its customers for 75 cents (hey, they've got to make a profit). If you have an antenna and can get KABC or other local stations over the air for free, no need to pay the 75 cents to the cable company. If CNN charged the cable company 30 cents per subscriber, the cable company could offer it for 40 cents. If you never watch news, don't pay the 40 cents for CNN. If you don't watch sports, no need to pay for ESPN or the other channels. You can judge for yourself if the benefits outweigh the costs. It should be no different than when you go to a grocery store or department store. If you want to buy oranges, Safeway doesn't make you also buy apples you don't want them. If you want to buy shoes, Macy's doesn't force you to pay extra to buy a sweater as well. Why should I have to pay for the Cartoon Network when all I want is MSNBC?

The cable companies don't like this model for several reasons. For one, if you live in a metropolitan area and can receive local stations over the air, the cable company would lose money because you don't need to pay them for something you already receive. That's fair for consumers, right? But the other problem is ... remember I mentioned that cable companies produce some of their own content and own several of their own stations. Many of those stations are the ones that you probably rarely watch, and may not want to pay for them if you had the choice. By giving you the option not to have to pay for them, the cable companies risk losing potential viewers that they now count on for advertising on those channels. For example, Comcast Sports Net (CSN) is owned by Comcast cable. Right now, CSN is on most of Comcast's systems. Comcast also sells the channel to satellite systems and other cable systems. So let's say that in any given town, right now, CSN is available to one million subscribers. If half of those subscribers aren't sports fans and decide they don't want to pay for CSN, the potential number of viewers drops to a half million. And for advertisers, that means that CSN is no longer worth what it was before.

The cable industry is huge (as is the broadcast industry, in which I worked for more than three decades). They have very powerful lobbyists who have thwarted efforts to make the cable system more equitable for the customers. That's why the a la carte approach, which favors the consumers and not the corporate giants, has never been allowed to progress. The cable companies have lost some battles (such as when DirectTV and DishNetwork were allowed to compete in markets where cable had exclusive distribution rights). And that may be the solution. Already, KABC is running ads telling its viewers that now may be the time to switch to satellite or buy and antenna before KABC is removed from Time Warner. Time Warner is running an Internet campaign blasting those greedy broadcasters. The way it is now, it is a no win situation for consumers. But, if Time Warner and ABC fail to reach agreement and the ABC stations are pulled from Time Warner, even for a day, it will likely turn into a no win for the cable company, which would find customers like me defecting to satellite faster than you can say "Don't touch that dial."

Russia, The Ice bar, and beyond

Jet lag is a funny thing … almost like an out of body experience. You stay up 27 hours straight, 14 of those hours in the air, and in the end you are dumped off in a time zone half way around the world (literally, when it is 7PM in St. Petersburg, Russia, it is 7AM in Los Angeles). Now, five days later, while pretty much adjusted back to the reality of the West Coast, I can muster enough stamina to crank out one last installment in the travels abroad.

Since last hearing from your fearless adventurers, we have soaked up more culture than a simple California boy can endure. St. Petersburg was all you have heard it is, plus more, and it is simply impossible to capture the grandeur and opulence in pictures, difficult to do it justice in words. For two days, in a private car (2002 Mercedes) with a driver and our Russian guide Maria, we saw more churches, more palaces, more fountains and more gold than most well intentioned tourists could handle. It really was a bit overwhelming. By the end of the second day, after seeing The Hermitage (world’s second largest art museum behind the Louvre), Peterhoff, The Catherine Palace, Church at the Spilled Blood, we were spent. Each day, at 5PM, we were glad to be back on the ship, and let it all soak in. What an amazing experience.

It was the peak of the travel season (seven ships alone were in the port at St. Petersburg, not counting the rest of the folks who arrived by other means). Plus, there was a heat wave, with temperatures in the upper 80s (hot for a place that is on the same latitude as Alaska). The result was masses of people all vying for the same spot at the same sites. And it is very controlled. If you don’t have a Russian visa, you couldn’t even get off the ship. Maria took care of all of that for us. But that’s not all. It seems that Maria has an “in” with most of the ticket takers. So, she would take us to the front of the line, ahead of the thousands of people on the organized tours waiting hours to get in, and we rarely had to wait more than 2-3 minutes. Oh yes, we got dirty looks from the rest, but as Maria told us, it’s one of the benefits of hiring a private local guide as compared to going through a group tour. Basically, “Don’t ask questions, just follow me, and don’t get separated from me.” I’ll post a few pictures so you can get a feel of what we saw.

St. Pete was followed by Helsinki, where we found one of the best open air farmers markets in Europe. It was right at the waterfront in the middle of town, and in addition to fresh vegetables, fruits, and flowers, the fishermen would dock their boats alongside and have a bounty of fresh fish for sale. We also bought some cool clothes there (like we did at other ports), the kind of things you don’t find in the U.S. or Mexico.

The final stop was in Stockholm where the highlight was visiting the Absolut Ice Bar. We had seen it before on TV, so once we docked, we set out on foot. A mile or so away, tucked in the corner of a small hotel, there it was. You could tell by all the tour buses parked in front.

We didn’t have reservations, and the hostess said she couldn’t get us in for several hours, it was so busy. But she looked at us, saw the disappointment on our faces when we gave her a sob story about how we are from Mexico and we really like Absolut. With a smile she said “hold on.” She snuck us in at the tail end of a group of Colombian Tourists (I told her I could speak Spanish so we could fit in without a problem). And with heavy down smocks on, we entered through a dark tunnel to the ice cave ... er, I mean ice bar. Everything is ice … the walls, the glasses, the bar, the furniture and it is a very popular place. $20 admission includes a watered down cocktail not strong enough for even the slightest hint of a buzz. But hey, we’ve now been to an ice bar.

The finale of the cruise was truly unexpected and spectacular. Leaving Stockholm, you have to sail for nearly three hours through the narrow waterways and past the islands that make up a good part of Sweden. The alpine studded coastline, dotted with beautiful home that ranged from simple A-frames to expansive mansions reminded me of a cruise along the shoreline of Lake Tahoe … but if possible, even more beautiful. Sitting on the balcony, cocktail in hand, watching the sunset and the coastline pass by, it was the perfect end to a memorable 18 days.

Estonia

Sailing over seas smooth as glass, following a truly memorable day in a town I knew nothing about, a good workout in the gym (after 4 miles of walking through town), and now back in the room with a martini in hand before heading off to dinner. It is quite the day.

I don’t know when this will get posted … perhaps not for several days when we get to Helsinki. But here goes my life in a capsule since Kiel, Germany. That includes today’s stop of Tallinn, Estonia. My friend and former colleague Will Frampton sent me an email last week after learning I would be in Tallinn, which split away from the Soviet Union nearly 20 years ago. He said it was an amazing town … one of the favorites he has visited. I’ve got to agree with Will. It has now entered my top 10 towns of all time.

Tallinn dates back to 100 AD and at various times was part of Viking, Danish, and mostly Russian rule. Tallin was spared the destruction that so many similar towns suffered in WWII and because of that, the inner core of the “Old Town” which includes neighborhoods built in the 13^th century is still intact. It’s not preserved specifically as a tourist destination because old Tallinn is still a functioning town with homes, apartments, stores, churches, and restaurants. But with the history and well-preserved architecture, it is a popular tourist spot especially for those of us who think old is The Golden Gate Bridge. I especially liked the museum of 17^th Century Instruments of Torture.

The town was packed. It was a Saturday. The weather was the best of the year (sunny and in the 80s). And there were two big cruise ships in town. But there was plenty to see. As ancient as Tallinn is, it is also surprisingly a technological hub. It is here where Skype was developed. And it is one of those places that offers free Internet throughout the city to anyone with a laptop. But it comes with a warning. When you sign on, you receive a notice in all sorts of languages that if you don’t have good up to date security on your computer, you’ll likely fall victim to hackers and cyber thieves (they didn’t say anything about pick pockets …. though we’ve been warned that’s the specialty in St. Petersburg). With free Internet, I have never seen so many people just hanging out with laptops (they outnumber cell phones here). The problem however, is that with so many people in town today, the system became overloaded, and if you could get on, it was slower than dial-up. What do you expect for free?

That’s it for now. I’ll add more here after St. Petersburg

Rush Limbaugh vs. Howard Stern at Sea

Hello from Kiel, Germany … the first spot we’ve had a chance to get a good enough Wi-Fi signal to update our travels. It’s also the first place where it actually felt like summer, with sunny skies and temps pushing 80.

Since the fjords in Norway, we’ve hit Invergordon, Scotland. Then on Sunday, Edinburgh. There wasn’t a lot in Invergordon, though the town is known for its many murals. And there was a grocery store where we could buy laundry detergent to clean clothes in our sink. On this ship (The Eurodam), Holland America has done away with guest laundry rooms, which on an 18 day cruise like this are kind of nice to have. Here, they will do your laundry for you … at their prices. “Only” $2.00 for one pair of sox. “Only” $2.00 for one pair of underwear. “Only” $2.50 for a t-shirt. They will do one entire bag of laundry for “only” $20.00. The bag is the size of a small plastic grocery bag that you find in the produce department. After spending as much as you do just to go on the cruise, it’s rather insulting that they gouge you for something as basic as laundry. But, it’s their ship (in their defense, they did give us a free bottle of wine and a note of apology because the service in the main dining room has been so bad, but that’s another story).

On to Edinburgh, where a tender ride from the ship was followed by a bus ride and 40 minutes later we were in the heart of the historic city. The Edinburgh Castle, The Royal Jewels, The Royal Mile, The Royal Fountain, the Royal Gardens … we walked our royal asses off (we figured we trekked about 6 miles) and had a royal good time. When you were raised in a state that wasn’t even founded until 1849, it’s amazing to see buildings that were built and history that was unfolding centuries before Columbus was even born. And they are still in good shape … and they are still clean … and they still are not covered by graffiti (though Kurt though they could invest in a royal power washer to spruce up the old buildings a bit). Someone said it reminded them of Victoria, BC, but a lot older. One thing missing … no bag pipe players, except some homeless dude which was cool.

Tuesday, we returned to Dover, where 2000 passengers left the ship, 2000 new passengers got on, and only 300 of us stayed on from the previous leg. After some clothes shopping, we hiked to the top of the mountain (more like a big hill) above the chalky white cliffs that look out over the channel. Here, we toured the fortress that has guarded England from invaders from the 1600s through WWII. The most fascinating past was the underground tour where the military built miles of tunnels. Here, many of the battles of WWII planned, an underground hospital was established, and living quarters were built for military leaders. Tuesday, we walked closed to 10 miles.


OK, as for life on board, it’s always somewhat interesting. Sea days are kind of cool. We just had one on Wednesday. You pretty much do whatever you want. For me, that means just hanging (for Kurt, it means watching a lot of Wimbledon on TV). Since gorging at the dining hall isn’t my thing on these things, a light breakfast was followed by a visit to the computer lab, where various courses are taught (it’s sponsored by Microsoft, so you need to accept the Bill Gates party line, but nonetheless, it’s interesting to see what’s out there).

That class was on Internet security. It was a frustrating day for the instructor. A persistent, loud mouth woman kept interrupting the teacher, prefacing each outburst with “I’m sorry to interrupt again, but …” Now, if her questions would have been class appropriate, it might have been somewhat acceptable. However, she asked repeated questions about computer programs she has heard advertised on the Rush Limbaugh radio show and whether they were reliable. “Rush recommends this,” she would say. A moment later, “Rush recommends that.” Come on lady! It’s 2010! Is Limbaugh still on the air???? I felt like asking the instructor what she thought about the wife-swapping and dating websites I hear advertised on the Howard Stern Show, but I didn’t want anyone ending up in the ship infirmary from a Howard Stern induced heart attack. As the class broke up, I told the Limbaugh lunatic I have used Mozy.com for online back-ups. She said “Thank you, young man, but Rush never talks about that one.” Neither does Howard, but I didn’t go there.

Next, Estonia, then Russia on the Fourth of July.