Very good interview. Better to know than not to know.
Listen here.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Wachovia bank and drug money laundering
Here's a link to an article at Bloomberg alleging that Wachovia bank and others have laundered multiple billions of dollars for Mexican drug traffickers.
Read it at the link.
PS. For those of you who don't know, Wachovia is now owned by Wells Fargo. Snort that up your nose and try to digest it.
Read it at the link.
PS. For those of you who don't know, Wachovia is now owned by Wells Fargo. Snort that up your nose and try to digest it.
Interrogation video
In the interest of fairness, I'm posting a link to a video documenting the interrogation and execution of an alleged policeman from Lerdo, Durango at the hands of alleged Zetas.
Watch it here.
The man in question describes how prisoners were released from a prison in nearby Gomez Palacio, then were given arms which they used to kill 17 people in Torreon, Coahuila.
He lists names of those involved, including the woman director of the prison in question.
Previous videos I have seen and posted showed alleged Zetas confessing to killing innocents before being dispatched. Now we have Zetas torturing their opposition, who also confess to killing innocents before being dispatched.
For the record, I am on no one's side here, except perhaps those that don't kill innocents at all.
Watch it here.
The man in question describes how prisoners were released from a prison in nearby Gomez Palacio, then were given arms which they used to kill 17 people in Torreon, Coahuila.
He lists names of those involved, including the woman director of the prison in question.
Previous videos I have seen and posted showed alleged Zetas confessing to killing innocents before being dispatched. Now we have Zetas torturing their opposition, who also confess to killing innocents before being dispatched.
For the record, I am on no one's side here, except perhaps those that don't kill innocents at all.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Arizonia
Yesterday I spoke with Daniel Pace, the current owner of a movie option for Contrabando. Daniel lives in Phoenix, Arizona. His wife is a realtor.
Daniel told me that quite a few Mexicans are leaving the state, walking away from homes and the mortgages attached to them. Whole apartment complexes are emptying. Jobs are being abandoned and are not being filled by new "American" workers. How many people you know aspire to be a lettuce picker?
I suspect this may be interesting to watch over the next couple of years.
Daniel told me that quite a few Mexicans are leaving the state, walking away from homes and the mortgages attached to them. Whole apartment complexes are emptying. Jobs are being abandoned and are not being filled by new "American" workers. How many people you know aspire to be a lettuce picker?
I suspect this may be interesting to watch over the next couple of years.
Friday, July 23, 2010
Piedritas, Coahuila
Sabbath eve, July 23, 2010
Yesterday I took a quick trip to Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico to see my friend Oscar Cabello. I’ve invested a meager amount into his effort at restoring a farming and ranching community with tremendous potential but in a horribly run down and sad state. The task is beyond either of our means now that we no longer smuggle dope for money, but it’s a task we both feel compelled to tackle.
With the constant news of border violence, I have to overcome a touch of fear each time I make this trip, but surprisingly, the Mexican people I have encountered seem almost to fall over themselves treating me well when I arrive. Even Mexican border guards seem glad to see Americans, in far fewer numbers than before I am told. The contrast upon returning to the United States is quite apparent. Border guards manning our customs installations seem on edge and extremely suspicious. I’m guessing that with a past like mine, it should be expected that I’d get special scrutiny, but it’s sad to say I’m more nervous about returning to my own country than I am departing to that of our neighbors to the south.
Ciudad Acuña and most of the rest of the state of Coahuila recently suffered horrible floods from the remnants of hurricane Alex. Rainfall totals exceeded 15” over a wide swath and evidence of the disaster was apparent everywhere I looked. Oscar tells me many roads have been washed out, homes have been lost, and while there, the area suffered a widespread power outage. Oscar had to take a circuitous route, traveling first south then east and then finally back north to get to Acuña from Piedritas. Mexico’s government is broke, or near so, but they’re doing what they can to provide at least a modicum of relief to the afflicted. In Northern Mexico, a modicum ain’t much.
There was talk of all sorts of programs in the works to help peasant farmers, but talk is about the extent of it. If anything is to be done, it’ll require someone taking the initiative and doing it with whatever they can muster. In spite of this, I remain hopeful. There are appointed leaders, there are elected leaders, and then there are natural born leaders, ordained in the same way Geronimo was ordained. With almost nothing in the way of assets, Oscar has managed to mobilize the few remaining souls in Piedritas and changes are in the works. They’ve cleared a few irrigatible acres of mesquites and huisache from a large field and have planted a crop. It’s a meager crop, but it’s a crop. For the first time in years, a seed of hope grows in the town and its people.
Back home again, we worked cattle for the second consecutive Friday (on another ranch I oversee). Fortunately, this time the weather was a bit cooler and the cowboys got the job done with less stress on the animals. Cattle prices continue to be good. Our corn crop nears harvest, but corn prices are poor. People feeding corn to cattle like that. The corn I am growing is for tortillas. I don't like getting fucked. Three goddamned dollars and eighty four fucking cents a bushel seems a whole lot like getting fucked by my estimation. Grass continues to grow like mad. We resumed cutting hay today and have quite a few acres near ready for a third cutting. I like making small square bales because I have a say in the price I receive.
I’m milking three cows every morning now and Leah’s making cheese as fast as she can. I need more nurse calves as most of those I had have been weaned and sent along, but I haven’t found any for sale and those calves among our beef cows all seem to have willing mothers. The garden continues to produce peppers, okra and cream peas. Another crop of black-eyed peas is planted and growing and Eulit Miller graced me with sweet potato vine cuttings that we successfully got started. Won’t be long until time to start planting a fall crop.
The chickens continue to lay eggs despite the heat, the goats keep eating, although most of the goats we have think they’re human, having been raised on a bottle. Leah names every animal she doesn’t want me to eat. All the goats she raised have names.
A palomino filly got her legs caught in wire and tore the shit out of herself, so now we get to treat her every day for her wounds.
As if she didn’t have enough stuff to can, Leah took a trip to Fredricksburg last week and came back with some of the best peaches I have seen in years. She has made peach jam and she cut up and froze peaches as well. I ate as many as I could.
The struggle on the farm continues, but I’m glad to be able to continue struggling.
And I am glad to know there are others out there fighting a similar fight.
Life goes on.
Yesterday I took a quick trip to Ciudad Acuña, Coahuila, Mexico to see my friend Oscar Cabello. I’ve invested a meager amount into his effort at restoring a farming and ranching community with tremendous potential but in a horribly run down and sad state. The task is beyond either of our means now that we no longer smuggle dope for money, but it’s a task we both feel compelled to tackle.
With the constant news of border violence, I have to overcome a touch of fear each time I make this trip, but surprisingly, the Mexican people I have encountered seem almost to fall over themselves treating me well when I arrive. Even Mexican border guards seem glad to see Americans, in far fewer numbers than before I am told. The contrast upon returning to the United States is quite apparent. Border guards manning our customs installations seem on edge and extremely suspicious. I’m guessing that with a past like mine, it should be expected that I’d get special scrutiny, but it’s sad to say I’m more nervous about returning to my own country than I am departing to that of our neighbors to the south.
Ciudad Acuña and most of the rest of the state of Coahuila recently suffered horrible floods from the remnants of hurricane Alex. Rainfall totals exceeded 15” over a wide swath and evidence of the disaster was apparent everywhere I looked. Oscar tells me many roads have been washed out, homes have been lost, and while there, the area suffered a widespread power outage. Oscar had to take a circuitous route, traveling first south then east and then finally back north to get to Acuña from Piedritas. Mexico’s government is broke, or near so, but they’re doing what they can to provide at least a modicum of relief to the afflicted. In Northern Mexico, a modicum ain’t much.
There was talk of all sorts of programs in the works to help peasant farmers, but talk is about the extent of it. If anything is to be done, it’ll require someone taking the initiative and doing it with whatever they can muster. In spite of this, I remain hopeful. There are appointed leaders, there are elected leaders, and then there are natural born leaders, ordained in the same way Geronimo was ordained. With almost nothing in the way of assets, Oscar has managed to mobilize the few remaining souls in Piedritas and changes are in the works. They’ve cleared a few irrigatible acres of mesquites and huisache from a large field and have planted a crop. It’s a meager crop, but it’s a crop. For the first time in years, a seed of hope grows in the town and its people.
Back home again, we worked cattle for the second consecutive Friday (on another ranch I oversee). Fortunately, this time the weather was a bit cooler and the cowboys got the job done with less stress on the animals. Cattle prices continue to be good. Our corn crop nears harvest, but corn prices are poor. People feeding corn to cattle like that. The corn I am growing is for tortillas. I don't like getting fucked. Three goddamned dollars and eighty four fucking cents a bushel seems a whole lot like getting fucked by my estimation. Grass continues to grow like mad. We resumed cutting hay today and have quite a few acres near ready for a third cutting. I like making small square bales because I have a say in the price I receive.
I’m milking three cows every morning now and Leah’s making cheese as fast as she can. I need more nurse calves as most of those I had have been weaned and sent along, but I haven’t found any for sale and those calves among our beef cows all seem to have willing mothers. The garden continues to produce peppers, okra and cream peas. Another crop of black-eyed peas is planted and growing and Eulit Miller graced me with sweet potato vine cuttings that we successfully got started. Won’t be long until time to start planting a fall crop.
The chickens continue to lay eggs despite the heat, the goats keep eating, although most of the goats we have think they’re human, having been raised on a bottle. Leah names every animal she doesn’t want me to eat. All the goats she raised have names.
A palomino filly got her legs caught in wire and tore the shit out of herself, so now we get to treat her every day for her wounds.
As if she didn’t have enough stuff to can, Leah took a trip to Fredricksburg last week and came back with some of the best peaches I have seen in years. She has made peach jam and she cut up and froze peaches as well. I ate as many as I could.
The struggle on the farm continues, but I’m glad to be able to continue struggling.
And I am glad to know there are others out there fighting a similar fight.
Life goes on.
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Someone's been smoking crack
Crack Smoking Part Deux.
Karl Denninger explains why deflation continues. Took over twenty years of failed policy to bring us to this point, including the ones you didn't like and also your favorites: Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, bush, and now Obama.
Karl Denninger explains why deflation continues. Took over twenty years of failed policy to bring us to this point, including the ones you didn't like and also your favorites: Reagan, Bush I, Clinton, bush, and now Obama.
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