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ISSUE
326
www.pvmcitypaper.com
Issue 326
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
January 2015
Need to Know
2
ISSUE
326
manners to present the check before it is
requested, so when you’re ready to leave,
ask «La cuenta, por favor» and your bill
will be delivered to you.
MONEY EXCHANGE: Although
you may have to wait in line for a few
minutes, remember that the banks will
give you a higher rate of exchange than
the exchange booths (caja de cambio).
Better yet, if you have a «bank card»,
withdraw funds from your account back
home. Try to avoid exchanging money at
your hotel. Traditionally, those offer the
worst rates.
I
f you’ve been meaning to find a little information on the region,
but never quite got around to it, we hope that the following will help.
If you look at the maps on this page, you will note that PV (as the locals call
it) is on the west coast of Mexico, smack in the middle of the Bay of Banderas
- one of the largest bays in this country - which includes southern part of the
state of Nayarit to the north and the northern part of Jalisco to the south.
Thanks to its privileged location -sheltered by the Sierra Madre mountainsthe Bay is well protected against the hurricanes spawned in the Pacific.
Hurricane Kenna did come close on October 25, 2002, but actually touched
down in San Blas, Nayarit, some 200 kms north of PV.
The town sits on the same parallel as the Hawaiian Islands,
thus the similarities in the climate of the two destinations.
AREA: 1,300 sq. kilometers
POPULATION: Approx. 325,000
inhabitants
CLIMATE: Tropical, humid, with
an average of 300 sunny days per year.
The temperature averages 28oC (82oF)
and the rainy season extends from late
June to early October.
allowed under certain circumstances
but fishing of any kind is prohibited.
Every year, the Bay receives the visit
of the humpback whales, dolphins and
manta rays in the winter. During the
summer, sea turtles, a protected species,
arrive to its shores to lay their eggs.
FAUNA: Nearby Sierra Vallejo
hosts a great variety of animal species
such as iguana, guacamaya, deer,
raccoon, etc.
ECONOMY: Local economy is
based mainly on tourism, construction
and to a lesser degree, on agriculture,
mainly tropical fruit such as mango,
papaya,
watermelon,
pineapple,
guanabana, cantaloupe and bananas.
SANCTUARIES:
Bahía
de
Banderas encloses two Marine
National Parks - Los Arcos and the
Marieta Islands - where diving is
CURRENCY: The Mexican Peso is
the legal currency in Mexico although
Canadian and American dollars are
widely accepted.
Index
BUSES: A system of urban buses
with different routes. Current fare is
$7.50 Pesos per ticket and passengers
must purchase a new ticket every time
they board another bus. There are no
“transfers”.
TAXIS: There are set rates within
defined zones of the town. Do not enter
a taxi without agreeing on the price with
the driver FIRST. If you are staying in a
hotel, you may want to check the rates
usually posted in the lobby. Also, if you
know which restaurant you want to go,
do not let the driver change your mind.
Many restaurateurs pay commissions to
taxi drivers and you may end up paying
more than you should, in a secondrate establishment! There are 2 kinds
of taxi cabs: those at the airport and
the maritime port are usually vans that
can only be boarded there. They have
pre-fixed rates per passenger. City cabs
are yellow cars that charge by the ride,
not by passenger. When you ask to go
downtown, many drivers let you off at
the beginning of the area, near Hidalgo
Park. However, your fare covers the
ENTIRE central area, so why walk 10 to
15 blocks to the main plaza, the Church
or the flea market? Pick up a free map,
and insist on your full value from the
driver! Note the number of your taxi in
case of any problem, or if you forget
something in the cab. Then your hotel or
travel rep can help you check it out or
lodge a complaint.
TIME ZONE: The entire State of
Jalisco is on Central Time, as is the
area of the State of Nayarit from Lo
de Marcos in the north to the Ameca
River, i.e.: Nuevo Vallarta, Bucerías,
La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, Sayulita, San
Pancho, Punta Mita, etc. North of Lo
De Marcos, Guayabitos, La Peñita,
San Blas, etc. are on Mountain Time,
i.e.: one hour behind PV time.
TELEPHONE CALLS: Always
check on the cost of long distance
calls from your hotel room. Some
establishments charge as much as U.S.
$7.00 per minute!
CELL PHONES: Most cellular
phones from the U.S. and Canada may
be programmed for local use, through
Telcel and IUSAcell, the local carriers.
To dial cell to cell, use the prefix 322,
then the seven digit number of the
person you’re calling. Omit the prefix if
dialling a land line.
LOCAL CUSTOMS: Tipping is
usually 10%-15% of the bill at restaurants
and bars. Tip bellboys, taxis, waiters,
maids, etc. depending on the service.
Some businesses and offices close from
2 p.m. to 4 p.m., reopening until 7 p.m. or
later. In restaurants, it is considered poor
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
WHAT TO DO: Even if your allinclusive hotel is everything you ever
dreamed of, you should experience at
least a little of all that Vallarta has to
offer - it is truly a condensed version of
all that is Mexican and existed before
«Planned Tourist Resorts», such as
Cancun, Los Cabos and Ixtapa, were
developed. Millions have been spent to
ensure that the original “small town”
flavor is maintained downtown, in the
Old Town and on the South Side.
DRINKING WATER: The false
belief that a Mexican vacation must
inevitably lead to an encounter with
Moctezuma’s revenge is just that:
false. For the 21st year in a row, Puerto
Vallarta’s water has been awarded
a certification of purity for human
consumption. It is one of only two
cities in Mexico that can boast of such
accomplishment. True, the quality of
the water tested at the purification plant
varies greatly from what comes out of
the tap at the other end. So do be careful.
On the other hand, most large hotels
have their own purification equipment
and most restaurants use purified water.
If you want to be doubly sure, you can
pick up purified bottled water just about
anywhere.
EXPORTING PETS: Canadian and
American tourists often fall in love with
one of the many stray dogs and cats in
Vallarta. Many would like to bring it
back with them, but believe that the laws
do not allow them to do so. Wrong. If
you would like to bring a cat or a dog
back home, call the local animal shelter
for more info: 293-3690.
LOCAL SIGHTSEEING: A good
beginning would be to take one of the City
Tours offered by the local tour agencies.
Before boarding, make sure you have a
map and take note of the places you want
to return to. Then venture off the beaten
path. Explore a little. Go farther than the
tour bus takes you. And don’t worry this is a safe place.
ISSUE
326
Your Comments
avineberg@yahoo.com
Dear Editor,
My wife and I have come to P.V. for the
past 21 years. This year we went, as normal,
to the Community Market. Hark! It wasn’t
there, but seems to have gone to two separate
locations. One is on Fridays at Marsol Market
near the pier, and the second is on Saturdays at
Three Hens and a Rooster. These two markets
are worth finding!
The real reason I write is because last year
we discovered two sisters who bake and
cook, and this year they are at both markets,
and their kitchen and their culinary creations
are palate busting! The beef stew and their
chicken parm with scalloped potatoes scream,
“Give me MORE”! Their scones, cookies and
specialty items are sold out quickly, as word is
spreading among locals. But seasonal tourists
should be aware of this gold mine!
Sister Janice and Sister Barbara are culinary
delights that need special mention. Good luck
finding them! When you go marketing; just
ask for them by name.
Monroe and Donna
Dear Editor,
On the death of public spaces One of the great things about Vallarta is
walking the Malecon. As we who are not just
off the (cruise) boat know, it is much more
fun to walk the Malecon south of the Church
rather than north of the Church. I love the
way it dwindles down to a narrower Malecon
at Daiquiri Dick’s, then dumps into the sand
at La Palapa, then after trudging through
several beach clubs returns to the two foot
top of a wall at the Tropicana, resumes as a
narrow Malecon at the base of Calle Abedule,
finally dumping into the sand for good just
past the Blue Chairs, so one must walk the
sand to one’s final destination of the boy on
the seahorse just before the rocks separating
Playa de Los Muertos from Conchas Chinas.
Perhaps by this point the word “Malecon” is
only metaphorical; no longer grammatically
or legally true. But it remains a key Vallarta
experience.
It is therefore with some dismay that I have
noticed the decline of this public space (I will
have to leave the legal accuracy of this word
to our friend Luis). First, as one traverses
the beach clubs past La Palapa, several beach
clubs have extended ropes from their building
towards the shore, forcing the walker to divert
closer to the water. Second, as one reaches
the base of Calle Abedule, more than one
business has blocked off what used to be a
narrow Malecon, forcing the stroller either
to the building cavern of Calle Amapas or
to the water’s edge. All these are efforts by
franchisers to “privatize” their beaches.
Two other developments are how much
closer to the water’s shore physical structures
now extend, in addition to the extension of
chairs in some cases into the surf itself.
I ponder whether this privatization of the
Malecon and beaches (legal or not) will be
a short-term gain but a long-term loss for the
businesses involved. Yes, they can now sell
beach privacy as a commodity. But will it
sufficiently degrade the beach mise-en-scene to
make the South Side less attractive? Will they
lose the free publicity that comes from the casual
stroller (especially the first timers) becoming
aware of the presence of their businesses?
Regardless, it is certainly a loss for us: the
public.
John Esser
Dear Editor,
I always thought that PV was an art
destination. I have been here several times.
I have visited most of the art establishments.
I am an artist, designer, architect from San
Diego. Now that I am here for a while, I
looked at the Art Walk brochure. The Uno
gallery was gone. Oh no! Well, that is a sign
of the times. I was an associate in the Art Walk
of San Diego. The mission was to have the
public meet the artist. Yes, SD is a large city
with many live work studios. In PV, this is just
open house for galleries. Yes, this is nothing
more than a social event. But it is reduced to
nine galleries. It seems that there is no art left
here. Yes, there are many other studios and art
galleries here that do not participate in the Art
Walk. But this looks bad for PV.
Yes, PV has lots of competition, just look at
San Miguel de Allende. So maybe it is time
to relook at the concept of Art Walk. Maybe
they should consider a combined effort for
Continued on Next Page
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
Sound Off
3
4
Sound Off
ISSUE
326
Continued letters to editor...
public relations for all artist venues in either an Art Walk type of activity
or art directory. Gee, there is no website for tourists either. Yes, even
Guadalajara doesn’t either. Maybe this is a government task. But it
seems that tourism is the focus. ART does draw lots of travelers, not
just the beaches.
I think that there are actually 30-40 galleries here. It should be a city
wide effort to introduce to the world: “Come to Puerto Vallarta for
Art”. There seems to be many organizations addressing art projects
or endeavors for the idea to promote tourism, even the Tourism Office.
But even that has no coordination or communications for a unified effort
for the arts. Yes, I will open my gallery soon. I will participate where I
can. But there seems to be a need to re-evaluate the art community as a
whole to regenerate the art interest by everyone. And my special interest
is the Rio Cuale area. I do have some intriguing urban art ideas for the
enthusiastic people in the arts.
Yes, this is a new year. Maybe it is time to generate the new arts in PV.
Byron Keener
Dear Editor,
I feel compelled to respond to the whiners. When I first arrived here
permanently in 2005 after vacationing here for 20 years, I responded
to an individual who wanted more franchised fast food places, correct
spelling on menus, and felt we as Americans and Canadians should
decide on the various cuisine available, as if this was not enough.
Now I hear about a lady who is appalled that a business would round
up the next peso on his bill, duh, do you really want that 10 or 20 centavo
piece? Even the supermarkets round off. And then she complained
about an increase in postage, and “all the money they’re hauling in”,
and poor delivery service provided. Does anyone really sit around here
depending on mail? When it comes it comes, this is not the U.S. Postal
service.
One gentleman complained about the P.V. Police “busting” him for
talking on a cell phone while driving. Get a clue, there are few driving
activities worse then talking on the phone while driving, I wish they
would stop and ticket everyone doing it. The best part is this man thinks
the laws are for others, he proudly states how “being a resident and
business owner”, he was able to talk myself out of the ticket. Going
through yellow to red lights pales in comparison with the personal
planned cell phone usage while driving.
Folks, you chose to come here, chose to invade another country and
culture, and then want to change it to be more like what you fled from;
no one forces your to stay.
Take a deep breath and smell the flowers, get a life and enjoy the
wonders of Mexico, you have no right to change it, remember: we are
guests here.
Bruce R.
Publisher / Editor:
Allyna Vineberg
avineberg@yahoo.com
Contributors:
Anna Reisman
Joe Harrington
Harriet Murray
Stan Gabruk
Krystal Frost
Giselle Belanger
Gil Gevins
Ronnie Bravo
Tommy Clarkson
Luis Melgoza
Todd Ringness
Tim Wilson
Christina Larson
Mark Hanley
Dr. Fabio Cupul
John Warren
Office & Sales: 223-1128
Graphic Designer:
Leo Robby R.R.
Webmaster:
PVMCITYPAPER.COM
Online Team
Cover Photo:
“Bon Appétit! Feeding
grounds - Monterey
Bay, CA” by Oscar Frey
Copyright © 2015
www.OceanFriendly.com
All International Rights Reserved
PV Mirror es una publicación semanal.
Certificados de licitud de título y
contenido en tramite. Prohibida la
reproducción total o parcial de su
contenido, imágenes y/o fotografías sin
previa autorización por escrito del editor.
An important notice
The PVMIRROR wants your views and
comments. Please send them by e-mail to:
avineberg@yahoo.com
250 words max, full name, street or e-mail
address and/or tel. number for verification
purposes only. If you do not want your name
published, we will respect your wishes.
Letters & articles become the property of
the PVMIRROR and may be edited and/or
condensed for publication.
The articles in this publication are provided
for the purpose of entertainment and
information only. The PV Mirror City
Paper does not accept any responsibility or
liability for the content of the articles on
this site or reliance by any person on the
site’s contents. Any reliance placed on such
information is therefore strictly at such
person’s own risk.
Note:
To Advertisers & Contributors and those
with public interest announcements,
the deadline for publication is:
2:00 pm on Monday of the
week prior to publication.
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
ISSUE
326
Wives, bring
your husbands!!
Husbands,
bring your wives!!
There
will be gorgeous
men’s and women’s beach wear
and luxury wear coming down
the runway at the Purr Project
Fashion Show & Brunch on
Tuesday, January 27th, at Daiquiri
Dick’s. Our fashion designers
this year are Sucesos Boutique,
La Santa Boutique, Tonalli Tienda
and Artisans on Carranza.
If you’ve shopped in these
stores, you know you’ll be seeing
some fabulous clothes... and
you’ll be able to purchase the
designs at the show!
Your ticket includes a delicious
three-course brunch with two
mimosas, and a raffle for such
prizes as a half-day fishing tour,
Swarovsky jewelry, a $1000-peso
gift certificate to No Way Jose
Mexican Restaurante, original
artwork by local artists, a oneyear membership to the Vallarta
Botanical Gardens, and mucho
mucho mas!
You may now purchase your
tickets for $350 pesos at Daiquiri
Dick’s, or on-line with a credit
card by clicking on
http://vallartatickets.
interticket.com/arrivalorder.
php?eid=2900&aid=63&vid=
13. Tickets are going fast ~
don’t delay!
Popular 2nd edition guidebooks
have arrived!
T
he Second Editions of two
popular guidebooks by local author
Sandra Cesca have arrived from
the printers! Walking Puerto
Vallarta and beyond has been
updated to 150 pages of full-color
photos taken by Sandra during
her 10 different educational walks
around Vallarta and Banderas Bay.
Tropical Plants and Walks of
Puerto Vallarta was released in
December to the Vallarta Botanical
Garden for sale in their gift shop.
It has been updated to include
some new plants and an expanded
section on the Garden. It is now
available in Vallarta with 128
pages of full-color photos taken
by Sandra. The book is arranged
by color making it easy to use
to identify over 200 of the local
tropical plants in this area.
Both books will be available
this week at Page in the Sun
Bookstore, the new Friday Market
at the Marsol Hotel, and the
Saturday Market “Three Hens and
a Rooster” in the market place at
466 Venustiano Carranza. For
further information about Sandra’s
walks, please contact her at sandra.
learn.vallarta@gmail.com or 322228-9356, or visit her website at
www.escaperoutevallarta.com
Proceeds benefit the 130+ cats
residing at PuRR Project, a no-kill
feline sanctuary north of Puerto
Vallarta. * Donations 501(c)(3)
tax-deductible in the U.S. *
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
Within PV
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6
Within PV
ISSUE
326
IFC actively supports many educational projects
By
John Warren
We give grants
IFC supports many people and organizations in
Puerto Vallarta and in addition to the Cleft Palate
program some of our most important work is
focused on education.
Last year, our education budget was allocated
to seven organizations after we had received their
requests for support and after they had agreed to
report to us how they spent the money. Six of
them gave us reports and we will return to them
again this year to discuss further support.
1. Biblioteca Los Mangos used our education
grant to upgrade three computers. The library
decided to allow their members to use the
computers for free but charges 10 pesos/hour
to non-members. In the first month after the
upgrade the library had generated $1,000 pesos.
The benefits of microfinance!
2. Vallarta Botanical Gardens used the grant
to purchase four (one for each season) large
educational signs for their entrance. The IFC
also underwrote a trip for 40 students from the
Volcanes Community Education project for a day
at the Gardens with tour and simple lunch, with
the Gardens granting free admission and the tour
to the group.
3. British American School used the grant to
purchase books for libraries and school supplies
for distribution by the students and staff of BAS
in outlying schools in the bay area, plus training
for school staff on setting up libraries.
4. Volcanes Community Education Project.
Our grant was used to help pay for construction
and renovation costs that were needed in the
after-school enrichment program in English,
Math and Computers offered in this economically
challenged area.
5. American School spent the grant to purchase
and distribute books for pre-school and elementary
children to economically disadvantaged schools
in the community.
6. SETAC Community Center designed and
printed 12,000 copies of three educational
pamphlets in Spanish regarding local resources
and safe-sex practices for the prevention of the
spread of HIV. These pamphlets are now available
throughout high risk areas of Puerto Vallarta.
The IFC Education Committee is now meeting
to assess new grant proposals for 2015 from
existing recipients as well as an elementary
school in serious need of assistance, a school
for deaf children, and an orphanage. We serve
to partner with educational institutions serving
those living in some of the most economically
challenged areas.
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
We give time
Our English Outreach program is off to a great
start again this year. This program offers free
lessons in English to Mexican residents who need
English in their jobs or studies and lack resources
for private instruction.
Five or six volunteers lead a full class of eager
students in basic English grammar, conversation,
and comprehension on Tuesday and Thursday
afternoons at the IFC. There is no cost but the
students are expected to make that twice-weekly
commitment to attend and to do the homework.
The program was a success last year and very
popular with the students. This year some of
those students have enrolled again and we are
happy to say that our enrollment limit was met
within a few days of the announcement of the
2015 program.
Also ahead - Medical Matters
On Thursday evening January 29th, the IFC will
host Pam Thompson of Healthcare Resources
speaking on “Your Healthcare Options in Puerto
Vallarta.” Pam will provide information on
Hospitals, Specialists, Emergency Care, and Insurance Coverage. Donation: $40 pesos or
3 canned goods at the door (no advance tickets).
Doors open 6:30 - Talk begins at 7 PM.
The International Friendship Club is a
registered charitable organization in Mexico
listed as Club Internacional de la Amistad de
Puerto Vallarta A.C., located at the northeast
corner of the Rio Cuale Bridge above the HSBC
Bank downtown. Phone: 222-5466. Website:
ifcvallarta.com Email: ifcvallarta@gmail.com
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Ongoing beautification of Vallarta
Working with the City
Many of us enjoy a daily
walk on one of the beautiful
streets of Puerto Vallarta. You
likely have noticed the on-going
beautification of the pedestrian
street leading to Los Muertos
Pier. This past Monday, the
city of Puerto Vallarta sent a
crew there to continue the work.
Thanks to Archie’s Wok, there’s
a model of the type of garden the
City gardeners are replicating on
the other garden there.
Here is a picture of one
of the City’s crew.
The majority of
the trees and plants
on Los Muertos Pier
Street (Calle Francisco
Rodriguez) were donated by
the Vallarta Garden Club.
The Garden Club has planted
hundreds
of
bougainvillea
throughout town.
Planting,
fertilizing,
pruning,
watering and supporting
them with sturdy poles
is entirely the work of
members and supporters
of
PVGC.
We
encourage you to join
the effort. Contact the Garden
Club through the website www.
vallartagardenclub.com
Medical Matters 2015
We are so very proud to present Medical
Matters 2015 in conjunction with the Hotel
Marriott Casamagna and the US Consular
Agency. It’s hard to believe this is our fifth
year and every year turns out to be even more
fantastic!
On February 9, 2015 at 9 a.m., the doors
will open to the public to the grand ballroom
at the Marriott which will be filled with
health-related exhibitors (too many to list
here!) – physicians of all specialties, hospitals,
complimentary
medicine
practioners,
insurance agents, ambulance companies, air
evacuation companies, dentists, chiropractors,
physical therapists, the list just goes on and on!
In addition to the exhibitors, we will have
three large rooms, ongoing, with some
incredible speakers and topics! The Hotel
Marriott offers a very generous discount
in all their restaurants to attendees, so you
can plan your day accordingly as to which
speakers programs you would like to attend …
and have breakfast or lunch. And of course,
plan to browse through the exhibits and take
advantage of the chance to have a face to face
chat with the healthcare professionals. If you
would like a copy of the speakers’ schedule and
are not currently on our Healthcare Resources
email list, please email Pamela Thompson at
pamela@healthcareresourcespv.com
It is important to note that this is a NO
CHARGE EVENT open to the public. Last
year, we had approximately 3,500 people pass
through the doors and the feedback was stellar!
There is no need to register for the event or for
the speakers programs. And, as well, there is
no need to arrive early and wait for the doors to
open. Believe us, there is plenty of space and
it runs all day long, until approximately 4:30
p.m. We hope to see you there!
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
Within PV
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Within PV
8
ISSUE
326
How far will they go?
By
I
Tim Wilson
can’t seem to get off the pundits, tactics
and fanatics on the gay marriage debate.
This week GAYPV is forced to add a new
twist: Stop the gay funeral! Stopping
gay marriage is one thing but bringing
a funeral to a screeching, embarrassing
and humiliating halt is another. I was
not surprised to see the church refuse to
support same sex marriage. But I have
to say I was somewhat taken back by a
church’s refusal to allow a gay funeral.
After all, isn’t it a little too late to protest
and refuse after the person is dead? The
case in point was sent to GAYPV offices
by The Denver Post on January 13, 2015
(bit.ly/gaypv028).
Vanessa Collier was a lesbian and
supposedly died from a gunshot wound.
Apparently the family had provided
videos of the lesbian family to the church
officials prior to the service but they were
not reviewed. Friends and family arrived
at 10 a.m. for the funeral while church
officials took a last minute inspection of
the video and photos. Houston, we have
a problem! The video contained scenes
of deceased Vanessa kissing her lesbian
partner. The church requested the family
remove any indication that she was
lesbian for the funeral to be held. The
family refused. At 10:15am the pastor
announced the service could not continue;
some reports say “due to technical
difficulties”. They apparently were not
allowed to edit the video. The family
decided to pick up flowers, close the open
casket and carry it to the mortuary, which
happened to be across the street. Don’t
look, Ethel. They are hauling her casket
across the street. Apparently the family
paid to use the church facility. Will they
get a refund? How humiliating!
How far will they go to stop gay marriage
in Florida? Some say whatever it takes.
The Pam Bondi Attorney General activists
decided to stop all marriage ceremonies
in their attempt to stop gay marriage.
GAYPV discovered 14 Florida counties
have stopped all marriage ceremonies
(bit.ly/gaypv029)
citing
“cramped
offices, staff limitations, and shrinking
budgets”. Funny how weddings just
now pose a financial problem in Florida
after several years of almost bankruptcy.
How’s that for throwing the baby out with
the bathwater?
Next we have anti LGBT activist
Randy Thomasson proposing if stopping
all ceremonies doesn’t work deploy the
National Guard.(see bit.ly/gaypv030).
He stated the governor of any state is
authorized to call out his/her state’s militia
or National Guard to enforce written laws
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
and maintain public order. Doesn’t the
idea of militia or national guard imply
stopping something backed by shooting
a gun? What’s he going to do, shoot and
kill anyone wanting to get gay married? A
new meaning to shotgun weddings! What
about straights getting married in Florida?
Will heterosexuals be gunned down by
pistol packin’ Randy to prove his point?
How many will attend that ceremony?
Remember last week’s PV Mirror article
where GAYPV cautioned against protest
to the point of violence and killing? Stand
by, but I am sending him that article.
Last but not least, we turn to Baja Mexico.
Here a gay couple has supposedly been
denied marriage three times. This time
refused for failing pre marriage counseling
(see bit.ly/gaypv031). Earlier, their second
attempt was cancelled due to “unresolved
paperwork issues”. Now the GAYPV bully
pulpit has to be heard on this one. Seriously?
Pre-marriage counseling is mandatory for
anyone wanting a civil wedding ceremony
at Mexicali City Hall? Administered by
Angelica Sanchez, she is president of the
Coalition of Baja California Families. What
about some equal opportunity heterosexual
pre-marriage counseling to address issues
of unwanted pregnancy. The gays certainly
don’t give this problem to society. Stay
tuned, folks, I am sure there will be more
to come.
Tim Wilson
Is owner and editor of GAYPV Magazine (www.GAYPV.mx)
in Puerto Vallarta. This magazine features news,
a complete list of gay and friendly businesses and events,
interesting stories, and around town photos of gay and
friendly businesses and people in Mexico. It is available
in print, online and the new app on Apple newsstand in
December 2014. Tim is an official member of NATJA where
he and GAYPV contributors provide content and press
releases about Puerto Vallarta as a “beyond Gay Friendly”
destination to international LGBT media outlets.
ISSUE
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The Blond Gypsies and Luna Rumba are on fire at The Palm!
T
he Palm brings back to the stage
live Spanish Gypsy Guitars and
hot Rumba, Cuban, and Flamenco
rhythms, showcasing award-winning
local and international musicians.
Latcho & Andrea - The Blond
Gypsies are European recording
artists who perform Gypsy Rumba
and Spanish Flamenco Guitar
music in Puerto Vallarta. Both of
German descent, Latcho & Andrea’s
music takes influences from
around the world and back through
time, authentically producing the
mysterious and passionate sounds of
Gypsy Flamenco music. They have
recorded nine albums and a DVD
chronicling their long musical career.
In order to trace the origins of this
amazing sound, you have to go back
some 30 years to El Sacromonte, the
gypsy quarter of Granada, Spain,
where Latcho lived and learned
how to play Spanish guitar from the
masters of Flamenco. Touring with
his band Lailo, Latcho played with
Antonico Reyes, and members of
the Gypsy Kings family and other
notable musicians of the time in
Europe. Latcho & Andrea decided to
leave Europe and relocate to Puerto
Vallarta, Mexico. Since then, their
local popularity has soared and they
have been consistently performing
throughout Puerto Vallarta. The
Blond Gypsies return to The Palm
with three shows only Jan. 26th, Feb.
14th & 28th.
Luna Rumba, featuring Cheko
Ruiz on vocals and guitar and
George “Geo” Uhrich on violin,
mandolin, Flamenco and electric
guitars, also returns to The Palm.
Luna Rumba is a fusion of Gypsy,
Latin, Celtic, Flamenco, Middle
Eastern and Rock, all spiced up with
hot Rumba and Cuban rhythms.
From beautiful, romantic ballads
to fiery dance pulsations, the group
will delight a diverse audience with
its infectious sounds and rhythms.
Their music has been judged “world
class” in international songwriting
competitions with Cheko as a finalist
in the World Music Category of the
John Lennon Songwriting Contest.
Another song from their CD entitled
‘Espiritu Amor’, written by Geo, was
awarded “Honorable Mention” in
the USA International Songwriting
Contest and placed second in the
world in the instrumental category.
Their first CD entitled ‘Sin Fronteras’
was just awarded the Vox Populi
(People’s Choice) winner in the Latin
music category of the World-wide
Independent Music Awards. Luna
Rumba returns to The Palm for three
performances: Jan. 31, Feb. 11, Mar.
3. Please see the calendar link below
for more information and showtimes.
Also currently playing at The Palm
is local entertainer Mikki Prost in her
song and dance review ‘Shades of
The Blues’ playing on select Fridays
at 4 p.m. through March 27th. Also,
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
local popular showman Sol Rose in
his show ‘Solesque’, a salute to Las
Vegas and Hollywood, plays on select
dates through March 7th (see calendar
link below). Vallarta favorites Amy
& Freddy are now appearing through
January 29th. And hot Argentinian
duo Bohemia Viva! is now playing
through Feb. 3rd, along with popular
strings and vocals quartet WellStrung, now playing through Feb. 6th.
The Palm is well-known for bringing
top notch, cutting-edge entertainment
to Vallarta. Inside you’ll find an
intimate, completely refurbished 90seat cabaret with outstanding sound
and lighting, creating the ambiance of
cabarets from days gone by. Shows
are scheduled seven days per week
with two different shows nightly
through April, 2015. The Palm also
offers matinées at 4 p.m. on selected
shows.
The Palm is non-smoking (a
patio is provided for smokers) and
is located at 508 Olas Altas, in the
heart of the Romantic Zone on the
south side of town. Tickets may be
purchased online 24 hours a day,
and at The Palm’s Box Office, open
at 11 a.m. daily. A full calendar
of performances, information and
online tickets are available at www.
ThePalmPV.com You can also find
the Palm on Facebook at The Palm
Cabaret and Bar. Tel.: 222-0200.
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By
The movie continues to show, in
scene after scene, just what an idiot
Mark is and how he cares not a whit
for anyone in his life: not family, not
friends, associates.
In the James Caan version the last
scene sums it all up. It is as chilling
Joe Harrington
The Gambler
T
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326
his movie was released in the
U.S. inappropriately on Christmas
Day. Why inappropriately? Because
that day celebrates the birth of one
of the world’s greatest protagonists.
This movie could just as easily been
called: Searching for a Protagonist.
This is a remake of a 1974
sensational flick with the same name
starring James Caan, receiving
a whopping 86% from Rotten
Tomatoes.
There’s been some great gamblingthemed movies over the years. Think
Let if Ride or California Split.
Unfortunately, too many gambling
movies fall prey to having the big
scene at the end using something
ridiculous. For instance, Casino
Royale with Daniel Craig. Against
the bad guy, he catches an inside
straight flush, on the last card, to beat
out an otherwise unbeatable hand.
Straight flushes beat four of a kind
for a reason, they come along very
rarely. I’ve had one in my entire life.
And it beat out a lousy two pair for a
pitiful pot. But in movies it is always
beating out four of a kind.
Same thing happened in Maverick
– the one with James Garner and
Mel Gibson. This happening is
rarer than a hen with teeth.
Back to The Gambler remake,
which received a 37% rating.
Mark Wahlberg is a fine actor and
does a great job in this movie. So
what’s the problem?
First this story has no back
story. It does start with the death
of Mark’s grandfather, 17th richest
man in California. That’s in the
top one percent, or more likely,
the top .01 percent. Mark’s at his
death bed talking to him, showing
they must have had a relationship.
Then grandpa stiffs him in the will?
Nothing bequeathed?
After grandpa’s funeral, Mark
borrows ten grand from a lowlife,
knowing if he doesn’t pay it, plus the
vigorish, he’ll end up dead. What’s
he do? He bets it all. Wins. Bets it
all. Wins. Bets it all. Wins. Bets it
all. Loses. I know this scene is trying
to show he has a death wish, but there
are far easier ways to get someone to
kill you.
For ten grand the contract killers,
meth heads and ISIS bankers would
be lining up.
as it gets. Caan won accolades for his
portrayal. Was this finale used in the
remake? Of course not. Hollywood
can’t stop, like a heroin addict,
wanting a happy ending.
Arguably, the best movie on
gambling was The Hustler (98% on
Rotten Tomatoes Meter). I read the
book, published in 1959, before seeing
the movie. I was thrilled through
most of the flick by how religiously
it was following the book, until, near
the end, I thought, what’s happening?
This when George C. Scott takes
Paul Newman to the Kentucky
Derby, hauling along the cripple Piper
Laurie. She ends up committing
suicide and an enraged Newman goes
back to Ames’ Pool Hall and kicks
Jackie Gleason’s butt. Why, oh why,
does Hollywood do this?
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
In the book, Newman and Scott
go to the races alone. The hustler
cleans clock on a rich guy, then goes
back to Ames’ and does the same to
Minnesota Fats. On the last page Fast
Eddie Felson is headed back to his
apartment and the woman he loves.
He stops in front of a pawnshop and
studies the engagement rings.
The last line of the book is priceless:
“And Fast Eddie Felson, being who
Fast Eddie was, bought her a watch
instead.” Home run, summing up
in one sentence the mentality of a
gambler.
James Caan’s movie does the same
thing, except in a foreboding way.
Mark Wahlberg’s ending misses
the whole point.
One final note: I like John
Goodman. He has delivered many
a fine performance and does so once
again in The Gambler, except, sadly,
he only has two scenes. Both are
riveting. What’s disturbing is his
bulk. He should take a hard look at
whether or not he wants to be around
for a long time. His heart has to be
extraordinarily overtaxed because of
his weight. Think John Candy who
died tragically way, way too early.
Joe Harrington
Is an internationally published true crime
writer and documentary filmmaker.
Send comments or criticism to
JoeMovieMadness@Yahoo.com
Artwork by Bob Crabb.
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326
Traditional & modern ceramic art Luis Manuel Morales Gamez
F
orty minutes from Morelia, Tzintzuntzan,
Michoacán, the Purhépecha kingdom, the town is
still rich in the fascination of ancient tradition and
its modern interpretation.
Tzintzuntzan, which translates from the Purhépecha
language to ‘the place of the hummingbird’.
Best known for its Purhépecha Noche de Muertos
(Night of the Dead) celebrations, Tzintzuntzan is
also an artisans’ center. Clay pots, straw decorations,
wood, and hand-embroidered textiles fill the
marketplace and shops. It is one of many Michoacán
towns sustaining a living tradition - pottery making.
Clay is abundant in the Michoacán hills and many
Purhépecha dedicate their lives to creating both
utilitarian and artistic pots. Tzintzuntzan’s traditional
glaze colors and designs are unmistakable.About 50
years ago, Miguel Morales popularized the town’s
dish sets, glazed in white and dark brown. Designs
on these two bowls include ordinary local sights: the
burro carries firewood, the fish from Lake Pátzcuaro.
Rivera, Siqueiros, Clemente Orozco, Tamayo, and
Picasso. He studied the ancient cultures of South
America and Mexico, and in particular his own
Purhépecha culture, incorporating into his own work
ancient symbols found on the nearby pyramids.
Manuel’s pottery reflect his own world view,
Luis Manuel Morales Gámez, native of
Tzintzuntzan, artist and master potter, has created
high-fired ceramics for 25 years. His family has
worked clay for five generations.
In 1982, Manuel Morales’ father received a
government subsidy which made it possible to
purchase an electric-powered wheel and the only
gas-fired kiln in the village. Under his father’s
tutelage, Manuel began to work in clay at the age of
eight. Later, he studied painting and graphic design
at the University of Michoacán in Morelia, where he
was influenced by the great Mexican painters Diego
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
The 7 Arts
11
which integrates past and present and expresses the
vitality, soul and spirit of his village.
His greatest inspiration comes from the natural
world, in particular the lake where since childhood
he has watched the unchanging rituals of fishermen
as they set sail at dawn or under the full moon, in
expectation of their return with a full catch.
Few Mexican potters have achieved the level of
accomplishment that Morales enjoys. His work,
sold in a very few exclusive Mexican shops, is often
shipped to Europe and the U.S. for sale.
Some of his best pots have regularly won top
prizes at Mexican competitions.
The Morales family legacy continues, with
Manuel’s son and his three young daughters. Born
and raised in Tzintzuntzan, they have clay in their
blood and are already making pottery.
PV Santana is located at 186 Corona downtown.
Cell: (322) 172–7847. Email: pvsantana@live.com.mx
12
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By
It’s
already the last week of
January, and my wife and I just got our
Christmas decorations into their longterm storage spaces. This despite the
fact that we got everything up WAY
earlier this year (for us) on December
1st. But the most interesting thing
is how fast time seems to be flying
these days. And as it zooms on by,
a treasure that time leaves behind is
special memories.
I find it to be a difficult discipline:
Savor the moment. Mostly because
I am so focused on what’s coming
versus what is. We recently had
our biggest online sales day since
we launched our business in 2013.
THANK YOU, VALLARTA! It was
my wife who brought out the wine
Todd Ringness
glasses and filled them with our tetrapack (mostly for cooking) house wine
(one litre, California red, $38 pesos…
thank you very much Casa Ley
grocery store!) And we did our best to
savor this moment… before we had to
get back to work.
This week, we had the chance to
savor some great entertainment, and
devour some great food as well. Years
ago we met a very special couple
during the sold-out run of our Dolly
Would if Kenny Could show at the
old Santa Barbara Theater on Olas
Altas. These dear ones invited us to
perform at a large private party in their
sprawling Texas home, and we’ve
kept in touch ever since.
These dear friends were in town this
week and we wanted them to see Kim
Kuzma in her Acustico show at the
Red Room. They loved it, of course,
and were quite impressed with how
Kim “worked” her audience. I have to
confess, I forgot how genuinely funny
Kim Kuzma is… supplying numerous
real laugh out loud from the belly
moments. This on top of her vocal
stylings that showcase her unique
arrangements of many familiar songs
and mashed up medleys.
Oh and this on top of her stellar
five-man band, featuring Eduardo
Leon and other artists who all
could (and some do) hold their own
concerts. Kim’s easy rapport with her
audience combines with sheer musical
excellence makes moments worth
savoring over and over again. And a
good reminder of what entertainment
pleasure should feel like.
When musical gifts combine together
to cause the full range of human emotion,
it is MAGIC. And this is why Acustico
was the number one selling show at
VallartaTickets.com last winter… and
every indicator suggests that this winter
will yield the same achievement for
Kim and her boys. Acustico can also
be enjoyed at the Nuevo Vallarta Stage
& Forum, and in March the band hits
the road for a momentous one-night
performance at the Ajijic Auditorium
near Lake Chapala. Tickets for
ALL Acustico shows are available at
VallartaTickets.com
Before the show, our foursome dined
at the newly re-opened second-floor
Roberto’s Restaurant on Basilio
Badillo on Vallarta’s south side. With
our friend’s recommendation, I tried
the house special Vallarta Shrimp.
Ayyyy, caramba! Three large succulent
grilled jumbo shrimp prawns, stuffed
with cheese and ham, and wrapped in
bacon! Our friends informed us that
this health-unconscious specialty has
been clogging arteries for decades…
okay, so maybe this new favorite tastetreat falls into the only once per year
category. My wife had the delicious
seafood stuffed chile relleno and she
ordered the cucumber margarita and
I tried the avocado margarita; both
were very good. But I’m still waiting
for the bacon margarita to show up on
somebody’s menu.
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
Speaking of the new theater in
Nuevo Vallarta, we had the chance
this week to savor Chicago at the
Nuevo Vallarta Stage & Forum. This
is a local production of the megahit
Broadway musical and 6-time Oscarwinning motion picture (including
Best Picture). This all-English musical
features some very sensual dancing
with a talented mostly-Mexican
cast, including Alberto Mejia in
the Richard Gere role. The show
climaxes with a fantastic finale that
will leave you cheering. Chicago plays
every Friday night through March at
the Nuevo Vallarta Stage & Forum.
To get there from the hotel zone,
take the ATM Nuevo Vallarta bus ($15
pesos one way) and share a $200-peso
taxi ride home. Once you are over
the first bridge, find the Barracuda
Restaurant (with the Oxxo store next
door), then head north towards the
marina through the park/promenade
(by foot only) to the waterfront
malecon walkway. Then turn and
walk west (toward the ocean) until
you find the red carpet at the entrance
of the theater. The Nuevo Vallarta
Stage & Forum faces the pier and is
right next door to the Wine & Burger
Bar and Grill, or about a block west
of the Estudio Café. From our home
on the south side, including two bus
transfers, we arrived at the theatre in
about 45 minutes.
Check out the adjacent event guide or
full event calendar at VallartaTickets.
com; as always, the best source for
last minute changes or cancellations
is the venue box office. You can find
those contacts listed on our website as
well. Whether you’re being inspired
in a dimly lit theater or soaking on a
sun-drenched sandy beach, I hope you
get to savor the moments this week.
And may most of your memories be
truly magic. Blessing upon you!
Todd Ringness
Along with his wife Sandra Gaye are the
founders of Vallarta Tickets, a Canadian
online ticketing agency serving the
Banderas Bay region and beyond. You can
usually see this man about town, or you
can email: Todd@VallartaTickets.com
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Reasons to love and support Los Mangos Library
W
hatever your reasons for loving
Los Mangos Library - personal
enjoyment,
children’s
books,
knowing that Mexican children have
an accessible and secure place for
community interaction, or their many
reading activities and art workshops we invite you to join us and celebrate
those reasons.
It is important to recognize the
important role libraries and art centers,
such as Biblioteca Los Mangos, play
in the cultural and economic success
of communities like ours. More than
just books and banks of computers,
libraries are still places where
individuals gather to explore, interact,
and imagine.
Reasons to love Biblioteca Los
Mangos
1. Use of the libraries computers
free of charge
2. Keep up with the news and trends
through newspapers and magazines.
3. Check out latest bestsellers in
English and Spanish.
4. Participate in a book club
5. Watch a selected movie at the
Cineclub “El muegano”
6. Take Spanish or Japanese
lessons.
7. Play ping pong at their gardens
tables or chess in the halls.
8. Teach someone how to read or
read a kid a story.
9. Join in community wide-affairs.
10. See original works of art on
display or at their many exhibits
Reasons to support the Library
1 - Los Mangos Library is a
community builder.
New moms connect at children storytimes; elderly people, attend events
and find that they make new friends;
teenagers meet up in libraries’ teen
spaces after school; and readers discuss
current events in the periodicals room.
At Los Mangos Library, communitybuilding connections are happening all
the time.
Spanish, Our local library has a huge
section of books in English and French
for our ex-pat community; some of our
librarians speak English to better serve
them. We provide a truly accessible
place for people on wheel chairs and
we support people with disabilities as
well as provide a welcoming place for
the LGBT community.
2 - Los Mangos Library is a
community center.
Yes, loaning out books—to patrons
of all ages, not just kids—is a huge
part of a library’s mission. But it’s just
a part. Documenting local history is
another part. But the services to the
community go way beyond that, and
they assist citizens at every socioeconomic level.
Besides our main collection in
3 - Los Mangos Library is a center
for the arts.
The library provides access to
young talent and a voice to local
artists that represent a diverse point
of view. We have painting, dance and
music classes for all ages at very low
costs. The library provides access to
the arts for all not just for those that
can afford them, with up to 40% of
users enjoying them for free.
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
Most of our events are free, like the
current Paco Ojeda talks on music, every
Thursday at 7:30 pm or the upcoming
Auction, which is on its 15th year
4 - Los Mangos Library is
champion of youth
Free tutoring, homework help
programs, teens high school diploma
courses and summer reading programs
for kids and teens help bridge
the economic divide that impacts
students’ academic performance.
Through
library
collections,
programs, and physical spaces,
children learn to share, to be engaged
in their communities, to participate
in the arts, and to explore their
immediate world and the world at
large.
Biblioteca Los Mangos enriches
the lives of its users and donors
as well as that of the community
through universal access to
knowledge, lifelong learning, and
literacy.
There are many ways to support
your library, visit
www.bibliotecalosmangos.com or
call 224-9966 for more information.
Do not miss the Art Auction
January 29th from 6 p.m.!
14
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326
International Writers’ Conference
set for March 6-8
If there is a book inside you
bursting to get out, the 9th Puerto
Vallarta Writers’ Conference will
be the place to release it.
The joint venture of Writers’
Group and Biblioteca Los
Mangos on March 6-8 weekend
at the Library will concentrate
on helping writers get their ideas
from their brain to the printed
page. This year’s theme is
memoir writing with an agenda
spanning memoirs, social media,
song writing, dialogue and
consciousness in writing. Special
workshops will address Twitter
and dialogue writing.
“The goal this year,” say
conference organizers, “is to
inspire the release of the creative
muse lurking inside all aspiring
writers.
The theme of the
conference – Leaving Our Mark
... Awakening More than Memoir
– will carry participants from
manuscript to published word
with a little bit of social media
marketing thrown in just for fun.”
Texas writer Caleb Pirtle,
author of more than 55 books,
promises to motivate as keynote
speaker. Maurice Monette, author
of Confessions of a Gay Married
Priest, will also be speaking.
Other presenters -- Sarah Cortez,
James Callan, Donna Dahl,
Melissa Frost and Thomas
Pulley – will offer an inspiring
mix of seminars, workshops
and interaction. Evelyn Byrne
of White Bird Publishing and
literary agent Elise Capron,
representing the Sandra Dijikstra
Literary Agency, will be on hand
to consider manuscripts.
However, the weekend will
provide much more than just
instructions. More significant is
the opportunity to brainstorm and
network with other writers. As
well, the conference is not just
for writers. Readers interested in
learning more about the writing
process or in meeting authors are
welcome too. “We emphasize
the international flavour of the
writers’ conference,” says coordinator Jane Alabaster. “We are
a virtual group and any writers
from anywhere in the world are
encouraged to attend.”
Registration is $125 U.S.
Registration
forms
and
information are available by
email at drjane121@msn.com
Payment can be made via Paypal.
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
Who are Los Bambinos?
By
M
Christina Larson
any heading for a dinner out in the Olas Altas Romantic Zone,
hope for Los Bambinos music as they dine. Those not wanting
to risk the disappointment -if the group doesn’t happen by- book
tickets for the Tuesday and Friday night shows at the Roxy Rock
House. On the street, you can spot the four of them from afar in
color-combined polo shirts, moving in a smiling posse with guitars
and maracas in hand. What is it that makes this group so unique
and sought-after?
First and foremost, they
have fabulous singing
voices. This unique mix
can be traced back to their
biological roots: they are
brothers. “The brothers
are incredibly musical
and both sing and play
their instruments well.”
- Tripadvisor 2014. An
important factor behind
those smiles is their solid
upbringing. Raised with
strong values and positive
morals, Los Bambinos learned discipline from the time they were
young. In their case, discipline came in the form of music study.
Before they were allowed to go out with friends, their musician
father insisted that the young brothers practice guitar scales.
Another significant influence on the group was Polly and late
husband Hubert Vicars who both supported the group musically
and taught them the value of “giving back” to charity. The
Vicars supported Los Bambinos in the production their very
first CD, Fiesta Music from Puerto Vallarta (2004), which gave
the group the footing to really become a performance group. In
exchange, Los Bambinos donated 10% of CD sales in support of
Becas Vallarta, an educational scholarship organization (www.
becasvallarta.com).
The same year this first CD was completed, the two middle
brothers (Lázzaro and Immer) began their university studies.
Today the three eldest hold university degrees: Immer in
accounting, Lázzaro in business administration and Carlos in both
tourism and law. The youngest, Giorgio is very much enjoying his
current study of culinary arts and administration.
Whether already a fan or simply a music enthusiast wanting
some excellent local entertainment, this season’s shows are sure
to satisfy. See Los Bambinos Tuesday and Friday nights 8-10
p.m. at the Roxy Rock House. Information and tickets at www.
losbambinosmusic.com or 222-4357, English spoken. The Roxy
Rock House has live music every night at 217 I.L. Vallarta in the
Romantic Zone on the south side of town. See you at the show!
January 2015
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15
Fantasy comes to life in the Red Room Cabaret
Miss Conception
After 4 years in the making it’s finally here. The Wonderful World of
Miss Conception has been written and
produced by Kevin Levesque and all
the costumes made to perfection by
Richard Ryder.
This all live singing fairy tale show
will leave you laughing and singing
your favorite cartoon
songs and grinning
from ear to ear. The
Wonderful
World
of Miss Conception
features characters
from Beauty and the
Beast, Frozen, The
Lion King, Snow
White, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, 101 Dalmatians, Mary Poppins
to Maleficent. This show will blow
you away!
The Wonderful World Of Miss
Conception - Mondays and Thursdays
at 9:30 p.m., Mondays at 7:30 p.m.
Kim Kuzma
“Kim Kuzma’s extensive vocal range and sassy stage presence have earned her a reputation as a dynamic performer. Kim Kuzma has performed
across Canada, throughout the United
States, South America and in Europe.
She has shared the stage of the Palace
of Fine Arts and The Castro Theatre
with the renowned San Francisco Gay
Men’s Chorus and opened for legendary singer Harry Belafonte in the
wine country.” — Mister Marcus, Bay
Area Reporter
to sing. To do this, a slight addition to
Dame Edna’s life story was needed.
In his research, Walters discovered
that Dame Edna had a fourth child
who was kidnapped from her cradle
by a feral koala. In his show, Walters
uses this as a jumping-off point:
Now that Baby Lois has been found,
Acoustico (Kim and her 5-piece
band) - Sundays at 7:30 p.m.
Wednesday Night Fever Wednesdays at 9:30 p.m.
Dame Edna
When Michael Walters set out to pay
homage to Dame Edna in a fully-staged show, he wanted to leave the audience with a bit of his own magic in
addition to Edna’s trademark “caring
and sharing.”
As a seasoned musical comedy actor,
Michael knew he wanted THIS Edna
Dame Edna can share her musical
gifts with the adoring public in Walters’ shows which feature several thrilling Broadway numbers.
January 23, 28 at 7:30 p.m., January
24 at 9:30 p.m.
Sharron Matthews
“She proved once again that she
may be the most exciting thing to have
happened in cabaret since Bette Midler at the Continental Baths.” — NiteLifeExchange/NYC
“Sharron Matthews is the ‘Statue of
Liberty’ of cabaret and comedy! The
roguish and rompish singer/comedian
has no equal in her native Canada or
in America. Think of Rosie O’Donnell, Phyllis Diller - and going back to
Broadway superstar history, Beatrice
Lillie - with fabulous voice to boot and
you have Sharron Matthews!” - Ward
Morehouse III, Black
Tie Magazine/NYC
Side One - January
22, 27, 29 at 7:30 p.m.
Side Two - January
23, 25, 30 at 9:30 p.m.
Elvis Rob Knight is a Pacific Northwest Award
Winning International
Elvis Tribute Artist.
Rob’s performance provides an
opportunity to travel back in time to
enjoy the music from Elvis’ career.
Rob most enjoys singing the songs
of the powerful 1968 Comeback TV
Special and the unforgettable Aloha
and Las Vegas Concerts.
There will never be another ELVIS,
but as an Elvis Tribute Artist Rob is honored to pay tribute to the most significant entertainer of all time the King of
Rock & Roll, ELVIS PRESLEY.
Forever Elvis - Wednesdays at 4 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased online at www.actiientertainment.com or at the box office which opens daily at 12 noon. The Red Room Cabaret and Bar is located in the
Act II Entertainment STAGES complex at 300 Insurgentes corner of Basilio Badillo, 2nd Floor, in the Romantic Zone on the south side of town. Tel.: 222-1512.
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
The 7 Arts
16
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326
Only 7 shows remaining
The Golden Girls opens to rave reviews in the Mainstage Theater
S
tarring
four
of
San
Francisco’s top drag luminaries:
Heklina (Dorothy), Cookie
Dough (Sophia), Matthew
Martin (Blanche)
and Turleen (Rose). The mise-enscène is reasonably straightforward.
Take four talented drag performers,
cast them in two classic episodes of
the ground-breaking and uproarious
TV show: The Golden Girls, and
hilarity will ensue.
The Golden Girls started
performances in San Francisco in
2006 in the front parlor of a Victorian
Mansion in the Western Addition
of the City by the Bay. The shows
quickly became more and more
popular, to be performed twice
annually – for a month every June
the show moved to the 500-seat
Victoria Theatre where it now plays
every December, for smash runs of
its Christmas Episodes. In 2013,
all 12 shows sold out! They’ve
toured with the shows from New
Orleans to the Russian River, and
now look forward to their Puerto
Vallarta debut! The Golden Girls will play only
7 more shows: January 22, 23, 24,
28, 29, 30 and 31 at 8 p.m., January
25 at 3 p.m.
and for a month each December.
As The Golden Girls became more
popular, they moved to sold out
runs at ever larger venues. In 2011
The Voice of Vallarta - Season 2
The Voice of Vallarta returns to
the Main Stage! Week SEVEN
for the long-awaited TV Novela
Week. This week the contestants
sing songs from famous Spanish
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
soap operas. Once again, the
highest attend show in Vallarta
history is looking for the best
singer in the Bay of Banderas,
hosted once again by Juan
ISSUE
326
Pablo Hernandez who turns
SPANGLISH into an art form!
This year taking the judges’ chairs
are: PVMC Choral Director,
Alfonso Lopez and returning to the
table, Kharla Barragan, Edgar
Sanchez and our weekly celebrity
guest judge. The Voice of Vallarta
will run every Sunday till the big
closing night March 29th. A Voice
of Vallarta Pass is now available
at www.vallartatickets.com. This
pass will get you into all auditions,
seats in the first three rows, one
cocktail per show and seats for the
big closing night. Check it out!
DATES: Sunday nights at 8 p.m.
Both Sides Now - a tribute to
Joni Mitchell continues its run
playing to packed houses in The
Mainstage Theater at Act II
Entertainment.
This is a theatrical presentation
of the music of Joni Mitchell,
performed live with the Don and
Rhonda band and starring Canadian
singer Jenny Allen. The show
presents 2 sides of Joni’s musicacoustic folk and progressive rock/
jazz. Some of the songs featured
are Both Sides Now, Circle Game,
Chelsea Morning, California,
Woodstock. Act 2 includes songs
such as Raised on Robbery, Free
Man in Paris, and the Joni Mitchell
collaborations
with
Charles
Mingus. Also included is a song
called Night of the Iguana written
by Joni about Puerto Vallarta.
The band members are Rhonda
Padmos on piano and vocals,
musical director of Act II
Entertainment, The Rocky Horror
Show, A Chorus line, Sordid Lives,
Carole King’s Tapestry, Don
Pope acoustic and electric guitar
and dulcimer - leader of the sitar
band Katmandu, Jesus Estrada on
drums, Marcos Milagres from Rio
de Janiero, Brasil, on bass and well
known guitar master Willow from
the duo Beverly and Willow. Both
Sides Now will delight lovers of
both folk and progressive rock/
jazz music spanning the eras of
the 60s to present. Enjoy the
art form of the iconic Canadian
songwriter and singer Joni
Mitchell.
Dates: Mondays & Tuesdays
to January 27th at 8 p.m.
Equus to open in The
Mainstage Theater Feb. 4th
Directed by Alain Perreault,
by Peter Shaffer, EQUUS tells
the story of a psychiatrist who
attempts to treat a young man
who has a pathological, religious
fascination with horses. February
4th until 21st on Wednesdays,
Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
at 8 p.m. There will be a Saturday
matinée on February 14th at 3 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased online
at
www.actiientertainment.com
or at the box office which opens
daily at 12 noon. The Main Stage
Theater is located in the Act II
Entertainment STAGES complex
at 300 Insurgentes corner of Basilio
Badillo, 2nd Floor, in the Romantic
Zone on the south side of town.
Tel.: 222-1512.
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
The 7 Arts
17
18
Map
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326
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
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326
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
Map
19
20
The 7 Arts
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326
Presenting the cast of Equus
During
an exclusive press
conference that was held at the
new Sapphire Ocean Club on
Los Muertos Beach, Perro Bravo
Productions introduced the cast
of Equus, a play by Peter Shaffer
that will open on February 4, 2015
at Act II’s Main Stage (upstairs at
Basilio Badillo and
Insurgentes) at 8 p.m.
Perro
Bravo
Productions
was
created in 2013 by
Alain Perreault and
César Bravo.
You
might have seen their
first production, last
season’s
Boutique
Theatre’s
hit
comedy
Princesas
Desesperadas that is presently slated
to play in English at The Palm Cabaret
and Bar this March.
Alain Perreault, who is well known
to the performing arts scene in Puerto
Vallarta, has left the limelight of
the stage to concentrate more on
the production side of things, and
decided to take the director’s seat for
this year’s anticipated drama, Equus.
César Bravo, an actor from Mexico
City who moved back to Puerto
Vallarta last year, and was quickly
back on our stages in multiple local
productions, takes on the role of Alan.
The event hosted by Paco Ojeda,
Editorial Director of Vallarta
Lifestyles, also introduced three
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
actors: Ron Spencer who was the
Founder and Executive Artistic
Director of Theatre on the Square
in Indianapolis, Indiana for
27 years; Cesar Bravo who
recently received from the
Jalisco Theatre Festival of
2014 the prize for best actor
in Ramiro Daniel’s award
winning play Milagros; and
Samantha Dueñas who we
saw this season in El Hombre
sin Adjetivos, a comedy
directed by Juan Pablo
Hernandez at Act II’s Main
Stage.
Equus is a play by Peter Shaffer
written in 1973, telling the story
of a psychiatrist who attempts
to treat a young man who has a
pathological religious fascination
with horses. The psychiatrist (Ron
Spencer) investigates the savage
blinding of six horses committed
by the young Alan Strang (César
Bravo), only son of a strict father,
Frank (Anthony St. Martin) and a
religious mother, Dora (Ana Cecilia
Espinoza). When the psychiatrist
exposes the truth behind the torment
of the adolescent, he comes face to
face with his own demons as well as
trying to understand the involvement
of a young woman named Jill
Mason (Samantha Dueñas) during
this horrific incident.
For more information about the
play or to purchase tickets, you can
call 222-1512 or vallartatickets.com
Good Bites
ISSUE
326
Secrets from the pros! Mondays, Thursdays and Saturdays
Your Comments
You can cook at award-winning El Arrayán
Cooking classes are ongoing - with Chef Alfonso Corona!
T
he entire team at the traditional Mexican restaurant El Arrayán is
happy to share their famous Traditional Mexican Cooking Classes.
Owner / Chef Carmen Porras and Chef Alfonso Corona are teaching a
large variety of Mexican classical dishes. They have planned over 35
recipes from diverse regions throughout Mexico for classes this season.
More than 1000 former participants surveyed wanted to learn more
classic Mexican Delicacies and now El Arrayán will offer an amazing
opportunity to learn how to make moles, tamales, fresh salsas and more
desserts. For the full schedule of this season’s offerings, please visit
www.ElArrayan.com.mx/en/Kitchen.php
As reported by Luxury Experience (www.LuxuryExperience.com),
“Carmen is someone who loves learning about and sharing traditional
ways of cooking, reads antique cookbooks for inspiration and knowledge,
and watches food shows on the television. With this as her culinary DNA,
over the course of the class, she gave advice, and also imparted cultural
and historical recipe knowledge as well, which made for a very interesting
and memorable experience.”
Description of Cooking Classes:
Monday Cooking Class, Tour & Lunch starts at 9:30 a.m. and includes:
Cooking class with typical Mexican breakfast, visit to purveyors and
market, recipe book in English, El Arrayán apron, food preparation and
lunch with a cocktail or a glass of Mexican wine. ** This class includes
transportation from restaurant - breakfast – visit to market – restaurant.
Thursday & Saturday Cooking Class & Lunch starts at 11 a.m. and
includes: Cooking class, recipe book in English, El Arrayan apron, food
preparation and lunch with a cocktail or a glass of Mexican wine. ** This
cooking class DOES NOT include transportation.
Classes are taught in English, prices are per person in USD.
avineberg@yahoo.com
Dear Editor - Allyna Vineberg:
We read the PV Mirror every week from cover to cover when
we are in Puerto Vallarta, and online when we are not here. It
is such an informative and wonderful publication telling us
everything that is going on in one of the most beautiful cities
in the world. We also love Gil Gevin’s stories, as outrageous as
some of them are. Through your paper and its readers, we have
found so many wonderful restaurants, and I would like to share
with your readers about one of our favorites.
The name of the restaurant is Melissa’s. It is a very quaint
little family owned restaurant run by Melissa and her husband
Leornardo Acosta, with the help of their son Diego Acosta, and
a very capable wait staff along with a wonderful cooking staff.
The food is all delicious, fresh and cooked in the very visible
kitchen for you to watch if you like. The prices are also very
reasonable. Although it is off the beaten path, it has been at
the same address for a number of years (No. 223-A Josefa O.
DeDominquez). It is so worth a visit. Every visit to Puerto
Vallarta is not complete for us, without visiting this favorite
restaurant.
If you check out “Trip Advisor”, you will find that they
have ranked this restaurant as 26th out of 707 restaurants rated
in Puerto Vallarta. It has also been awarded a “Certificate of
Excellence Award” for 2014 by Trip Advisor.
We can’t give this restaurant anything but praise for everything
it has to offer. Please pay Melissa’s a visit yourself, and you will
see why this is such a wonderful place to eat. It is places like
this and people like this that make our annual visits to Puerto
Vallarta so very enjoyable. Judge for yourselves.
Dick and Jeannie Nelson
Hot Springs Village, Arkansas
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
21
January 2015
22
Vallarta Voices
By
I
ISSUE
326
Anna Reisman
t’s going to be another one of
those crazy weeks in Puerto Vallarta,
I just know it.
Everyone is vying for your time
...and your money. At least, most
events are scheduled for the evening
so as not to interfere with your hours in
the sun. I can’t believe how yucky the
weather has been north of our border!
So many folks having to endure
continuous below zero temperatures…
We are truly blessed here.
True, there are a couple of afternoon
events too, but they’re so much fun
and held in such nice settings that
they’re truly worth losing an hour or
two of sunshine. Besides, those are
all for good causes,
like the welfare of
children and animals…
Before I forget (now that Teatro
Vallarta doesn’t exist any longer), I
want to inform all my readers who
love live theater of a recent event
that has greatly upset all of us who
live here half or all year, dealing
with the theater complex at Act II
Entertainment.
The following is the plea for help
that was sent out by the Act II’s
founders: “Act II STAGES is home
not only to great live theatre [and
music], but also The Puerto Vallarta
Men’s Chorus, several local charities,
and Paradise Church. We think that
live theatre is vital to Puerto Vallarta,
and we need your help to keep going.
In our second season, Act II has
been on much more solid footing
financially …until the landlord
welched on an agreement he made
with us and that we have honored
100%. We have emptied our bank
accounts and now are relying on
all of you who love Act II to please
donate to help fix this unfortunate
situation. With this money, we can
assure that we go forward in the
same location. All of you who love
The Voice of Vallarta, and have loved
our productions, try to imagine all of
that going away. PLEASE DON’T
LET THAT HAPPEN! We are all so
grateful to the Vallarta community
for supporting us for two years.”
You don’t have to be in Vallarta
to do this. If you can help, please
go to www.gofundme.com/kdnouw
and support those good folks with
whatever you can. Every little bit
helps! It would be tragic indeed if
all the blood, sweat and tears (and
money) invested in that beautiful
complex were to be wasted.
Remember the Paradise Community
Center? A similar situation occurred
there, and it’s still empty. Yes, I
believe in karma, but I’d much rather
see Act II succeed DESPITE and
IN SPITE of the property owner’s
incomprehensible behavior.
Los Mangos Public Library is
another site worthy of your support.
It too depends on readers like you to
survive from year to year.
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
I don’t have to tell you what an
important role a public library plays
to the well being of a community.
Please do support the Los Mangos
Public Library at their upcoming
fundraiser. It is a delightful event.
On a lighter note, I went whale
watching with a couple of friends,
one of which had never experienced
the excitement of such an outing.
When marine biologists Isabel
Cardenas and Oscar Aranda dropped
the hydrophone into the water,
and my lady friend heard the male
whale’s courting song for the first
time, she was mesmerized. I know
exactly how she felt. It is something
so beautiful, so haunting, so unique,
that one never forgets once it’s
been heard. I also found out that
some of the local whale watching
organizations have come together
to help each other out… When there
are only a few people reserved on
a particular day, they’ll combine
groups so as to save gas, wear ‘n
tear on a boat, while contributing
less motor noise to the waters of
the bay. Wouldn’t it be loverly if
such cooperation existed between
political parties? Good stuff!
I did not get to see An Evening at
the Bird Cage at The Palm as I had
intended to, but I will make sure to
see it when it returns in March.
My plans for the next few days?
Dinner at Roberto’s and the Golden
Girls at Act II. Other than that,
not much… Until next time, I hope
your Mirror always reflects a happy,
healthy you. sheis@ymail.com
ISSUE
326
When is enough enough?
By
I
Giselle Belanger
have written separate articles
on addiction, codependency, and
relationships and received many
responses and questions asking
more about the addict-codependent
relationship. The amazing thing that
I’ve noticed about this dysfunctional
destructive cycle is that the addicts
are very aware of their role in this type
of relationship and the codependents
are very unaware. They don’t realize
why or how things happen in their
relationship despite their best efforts.
They (codependents) don’t realize
how their actions, responses, and
expectations provoke and maintain
the vicious cycle. Their role and
the damage they cause is disguised
and overshadowed by the addicts’
blatant and inappropriate behavior.
Yes, despite the codependent’s best,
most sincere efforts, she is causing
damage to herself, to the addict
by enabling and rescuing, and to
her children by allowing this to
continue, often ignoring their pleas
to do something about it. (Note: I’m
going to refer to the addict as male
and the codependent as female)
Why?
If you are in a codependent
relationship with an addict, you
probably find yourself asking why
things don’t improve, why you are
always frustrated, or even miserable.
You probably also wonder why you
continue to tolerate it. The answer
is simple and complex. As the
addiction progresses so does your
codependency. You have both had
many years to develop your way
of being and interacting. You’ve
had years to develop tolerance;
you to your addict and him to his
addiction. You’ve figured out many
ways to adapt in order to maintain
equilibrium of the couple and of
RN, LCSW
the family. Your children have also
adapted and developed a certain
degree of tolerance. It has become
familiar and not every day is a bad
day, you aren’t always miserable.
The good days in-between re-instill
hope and encourage you to keep
trying, to believe that things and
people can change. Eventually things
either improve or they become much
worse. If they are worse, then you
are faced with the decision to end the
relationship. Consider the following
characteristics of an addict.
They are champion manipulators
They know what they are doing.
However, it is important to note
that these “skills” evolved over time
as a response to their progressing
addiction. They plan and strategize,
and have practiced and mastered
their manipulation skills. They have
learned to lie with a straight face,
without blinking, without remorse.
They make so many promises they
cannot or have no intention of
keeping, that they no longer give
them a second thought. They are full
of excuses. Even if they feel guilty,
it is easily justified and minimized.
It usually takes an accumulation of
circumstances or something that
causes extreme guilt to provoke
change. Desperate times require
desperate measures!
Empty promises
They are always promising
something: I will “try harder next
time” or “not do it anymore” or
“this is the last time.” Doesn’t that
sound familiar? You have all heard,
how they will try harder to quit their
drug use or not have sex with other
women anymore or not spend all of
the rent money, or it may be the “last
time” they will ask you for a favor
or to lend them money or to give
them a ride or a place to stay. They
may promise to “pay you back,” or
“never ask you again.”
Lies and more lies
They have to find a way to convince
you of their lies in order to protect
their truth, so they desperately insist
“this time I am telling you the truth” or
say “I swear to God” or “come on, do
you really think I would lie again after
what happened the last time?” They lie
about where they were, who they were
with, what they were doing, and how
much money they spent. The most
incredible and ridiculous part is how
they respond to your questions and
accusations like you are the one with
the problem, the one who is crazy to
think such things about them, the one
who needs to do a reality check. They
try (and usually succeed) to make you
feel guilty and as a result, you end up
retracting and/or apologizing for the
question or accusation.
Always blaming
They have an excuse for everything.
Blaming other people and outside
circumstances comes naturally for
them; it is never their fault. They
blame their boss, the traffic, the
weather, or the way someone looked
at them. It rarely occurs to them to
consider their part in the situation
and they find it difficult to accept
once other people have pointed it out
and made it clear that they must own
their share of the guilt.
No more second chances
As much as you know not to
believe them this time, you’ve heard
it all before. It takes numerous times
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
Health Matters
23
(often years) of backing down, giving
another second chance, accepting
their excuses, lies, and promises,
before you finally put your foot
down and say “NO more,” before
you realize that there isn’t anything
that they can say that will change
your mind, or convince you, or make
you feel guilty enough, or sorry
enough for them. You must then set
limits you are willing to enforce, not
make empty threats, and remain true
to your decisions even in your most
vulnerable weak moments.
Closing thoughts from an addict:
“Where are you in all of this? What
are your desires and your needs?
It’s not just about taking care of
everyone else’s needs and desires.
Be careful! You are not taking care
of you. You are putting yourself in
the hands of those who are not good
for you. They are inconsiderate and
possibly incapable of caring about
you and your needs and desires.
This is not healthy. Do you really
want to be in a relationship where
you are the only one who gives,
without receiving anything?! Ask for
help! You have nothing to lose and
everything to gain.”
Giselle Belanger
RN, LCSW (psychotherapist) is available
for appointments in person, by phone,
or by skype webcam. Contact info:
ggbelangerpv@gmail.com Mex cell: 044
(322) 138-9552 or US cell: (312) 914-5203.
24
By
Health Matters
ISSUE
326
Krystal Frost
What’s so great about WHEATGRASS juice?
Excerpts from The Wheatgrass
Book by Ann Wigmore.
You asked for this info again,
so here it is!
Increases red blood-cell count
and lowers blood pressure.
It
cleanses the blood, organs and
gastrointestinal tract of debris.
Wheatgrass
also
stimulates
metabolism and the body’s enzyme
systems by enriching the blood. It
also aids in reducing blood pressure
by dilating the blood pathways
throughout the body.
Stimulates the thyroid gland,
correcting obesity, indigestion, and
a host of other complaints.
Restores alkalinity to the blood.
The juice’s abundance of alkaline
minerals helps reduce over-acidity in
the blood. It can be used to relieve
many internal pains, and has been
used successfully to treat peptic
ulcers, ulcerative colitis, constipation,
diarrhea, and other complaints of the
gastrointestinal tract.
Is a powerful detoxifier,
and liver and blood protector.
The enzymes and amino acids
found in wheatgrass can protect us
from carcinogens like no other food
or medicine. It strengthens our cells,
detoxifies the liver and bloodstream,
and
chemically
neutralizes
environmental pollutants.
Fights tumors and
neutralizes toxins.
Recent studies show that wheatgrass
juice has a powerful ability to fight
tumors without the usual toxicity of
drugs that also inhibit cell-destroying
agents. The many active compounds
found in grass juice cleanse the blood
and neutralize and digest toxins in
our cells.
Contains beneficial enzymes.
Whether you have a cut finger you
want to heal or you desire to lose
five pounds... enzymes must do the
actual work. The life and abilities
of the enzymes found naturally
in our bodies can be extended if
we help them from the outside by
adding exogenous enzymes, like
the ones found in wheatgrass juice.
Don’t cook it. We can only get the
benefits of the many enzymes found
in grass by eating it uncooked.
Cooking destroys 100 percent
of the enzymes in food. When
used as enema, reverses damage
from inside the lower bowel. An
implant is a small amount of juice
held in the lower bowel for about
20 minutes. In the case of illness,
wheatgrass implants stimulate a
rapid cleansing of the lower bowel
and draw out accumulations of
debris. Externally applied to the
skin, it can help eliminate itching
almost immediately.
Will soothe sunburned skin and act
as a disinfectant. Rubbed into the
scalp before a shampoo, it will help
mend damaged hair and alleviate
itchy, scaly, scalp conditions.
Beware of a slight green tinge to the
skin… not recommended for facials.
Is soothing and healing for cuts,
burns, scrapes, rashes, poison ivy,
athlete’s foot, insect bites, boils,
sores, open ulcers, tumors, and so
on. Use as a poultice and replace
every two to four hours. I use this
often for a disinfectant, it works like
a wonder.
Works as a sleep aide. Merely
place a tray of living wheatgrass near
the head of your bed. It will enhance
the oxygen in the air and generate
healthful negative ions to help you
sleep more soundly. (smile)
Enhances your bath. Add some to
your bath water and settle in for a
nice, long soak. Add a bit of pink
salt for a therapeutic bath. Sweetens
the breath and firms up and tightens
gums. Just gargle with the juice.
Neutralizes toxic substances
like cadmium, nicotine, strontium,
mercury, and polyvinyl chloride.
Is a beauty treatment that slows
down the aging process when the
juice is consumed.
Wheatgrass
will cleanse your blood and help
rejuvenate aging cells, slowing the
aging process way down, making you
feel more alive right away. It will
help tighten loose and sagging skin.
Lessens the effects of radiation.
One enzyme found in wheatgrass,
SOD, lessens the effects of radiation
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
and acts as an anti-inflammatory
compound that may prevent cellular
damage following heart attacks or
exposure to irritants.
There is a lot more about the
Green Diva that does not fit in the
word count allowed. I prescribe it
for patients who have had radiation,
chemo therapy, and high acid
conditions. I must say patients
report higher levels of energy during
the day and sound sleep.
Restores fertility and
promotes youthfulness.
The down side is you need a
special juicer for extracting the
juice from the wheatgrass. The pulp
is woody and will bind up a normal
juicer. Wheat is sprouted then
planted and left to grow a 6-7 inches
high, cut and juiced. We have not
found a juicer sold here in Mexico
that will do the job...
They do sell low cost hand
extractors in health food stores in
the U.S. I found one at Trader Joe’s
for about $50. USD. The best one is
the called the MiracleJuicer, which
is small, light weight, easy to clean
and costs about $100. USD. You
can google it.
Locally, you can get organic
wheatgrass
juice,
wheatgrass,
and sprouted wheat from Organic
Select’s online store (www.organicselect.com) here in P.V, or add it to
your favorite smoothie or juice by
the shot at the Deli, or at the Store,
169 Francia in Col. Versalles.
Krystal Frost
Is a long time resident of Puerto Vallarta.
Graduate of University of Guadalajara, and
specialized in cosmetic acupuncture at
Bastyr University in Washington State. She
is the owner of Body & Sol for over 20 years
where she practices traditional Chinese
medicine, acupuncture, massage therapy,
yoga, meditation and nutritional counseling.
She has created healing programs for
individuals, retreats and spas. For questions
and comments - Cell: 322 116-9645,
Email krystal.frost73@hotmail.com
ISSUE
326
Ask Luis
By
Luis Melgoza
Dear Luis: In last week’s issue
the first letter is about buying a
condo here and the writer wanted to
know if they needed a temporal or
perm visa to do so. We purchased
a condo 2 years ago and our agent
told us then it is important that we
have a permanent resident visa
should we ever sell the property. If
we sold it and only had a tourist visa
we could incur a capital gains tax
of over 30% on the selling price. Is
that true? Wondering why it was
not mentioned in your response.
Dear Reader: In order to keep
this column fresh and interesting, I
try not to repeat answers published
in this space before, usually
directing the interested reader to
the issue where the answer was
published (in this case, PV Mirror’s
issues 269,285 and 287, all always
available at http://pvmcitypaper.
com/Past_Issues.html, information
which I forgot to include with my
answer last week).
Nonetheless, for clarity:
There is no capital gains tax in
Mexico for anything other than
gains on the sale of shares through
a stock exchange. And, even then,
that capital gains tax is 10%.
Any profit made on the sale of real
property is subject to regular income
tax (ISR), which for individuals
ranges from 30% to 35%. However,
this tax is not applied to the selling
price, but to the profit obtained from
the sale, which is the difference
between the selling price and the
updated fiscal cost of the property at
the time of sale in case of the sellers
personal dwelling (the profit on the
sale of commercial real estate is
calculated differently).
Mexican citizens and fiscal
residents of Mexico are exempt
from paying income tax on the
first 750,000 UDIS (Mexican
Investment Units, for their Spanish
acronym) of profit obtained from
the sale of their personal dwelling.
The UDIS/MXN exchange rate
is updated and published daily by
the government (750,000 UDIS
equaled $3,964,692.00 MXN on
Friday, January 16, 2015).
Typically, tourists are not fiscal
residents of Mexico and, therefore,
do not qualify for this tax exemption.
In any event, a key factor to
avoid overpaying taxes when a
personal dwelling or other real
estate is sold, is to make sure the
deed reflects the actual purchase
price when you buy the property
in the first place. In order to evade
taxes, many sellers attempt to make
their buyers co-conspirators in tax
fraud by declaring a purchase price
lower than the price actually paid.
Buyers who accept to participate in
this crime, not only risk prison, if
caught, but will also pay taxes on a
potentially larger profit when they,
in turn, sell the property.
free unlimited calling, including
to Canadian and continental US
numbers, while the next paragraph
states a $1.19 MXN per minute
charge for calls to Canada and the
continental US, $2.38 MXN per
minute to Alaska and Puerto Rico
and $11.95 MXN per minute to
Hawaii with one plan and $1.19
MXN with the other), this is what’s
happening until now.
Telecable was acquired by
Televisa, and now 80% of the cable
service in Mexico is provided by
only two players: Televisa itself,
and Megacable.
AT&T acquired 100% ownership
of IUSACELL, the third largest
mobile carrier in Mexico and it is
said to be interested in acquiring
Nextel, partnering with Movistar
and acquiring the assets to be
eliminated by America Movil
(Telcel’s parent company). If
successful, AT&T would have the
lion’s share of Mexico’s cellular and
mobile Internet business, with only
two players left: AT&T and Telcel.
So, competition in the cable market
has been reduced, and Televisa
is strengthening it leadership as
the largest provider of triple-play
services (Television, Internet and
Telephony), in addition to being
the largest TV content provider
in Mexico. We now have among
us AT&T, a company with one of
the worst records for customer
service in the United States, without
increasing competition, but with a
very real possibility that competition
Dear Readers: The first results of
the new telecommunications laws
in Mexico, in terms of competition,
are less than stellar. Other than
unlimited calling within Mexico,
Canada, the US and several other
countries, at no charge (but
read the fine print. Telecable’s
seems straightforward enough,
but Telmex’s is contradictory in
itself: on the one hand, they offer
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
Legal Matters
25
actually might be reduced in the
cellular and mobile Internet market.
The end result may very well
be that we end up with only two
providers of triple-play services:
Televisa and Telmex, and only two
providers of cellular and mobile
Internet service in Mexico: Telcel
and AT&T.
On the energy front, Mexico now
imports 100,000 barrels of light
crude oil from the United States,
increasing the cost of oil derivatives,
including gasoline, instead of
reducing these costs. And, so far,
there doesn’t seem to be any oil
companies entering Mexico, where,
despite extremely low oil prices,
gasoline is still at an all time high.
Send me your questions to
askluis@pvgeeks.com, I am not able
to answer each message privately
due to the volume of mail I receive.
I do not take legal cases, I am retired
from the practice of Law.
Luis Melgoza
Is a former PRI (Mexico’s ruling party)
Head Counsel and Legal Adviser to the
Mexican Congress. Although retired
from the legal profession, he is a highly
respected consultant for both the foreign
and Mexican communities in Puerto
Vallarta. Luis’ PVGeeks is the premiere
wireless high-speed Internet provider in
Puerto Vallarta. For Internet service, you
can reach Luis at lumel@pvgeeks.com
26
Real Estate
ISSUE
326
VIEWPOINT
By
Harriet Murray
Using common sense in buying or selling real estate
O
ver time, I have come to believe
that what we usually call common
sense is an opinion based on cultural
experience.
To show common sense when you
are in a foreign country, I recommend
the following:
1.
Assume you know nothing
about how things are done. This
includes procedures, customs, and
habits.
2.
Use your senses of hearing
and seeing. Use your sixth sense
of intuition. Observe what people
say, how they say it, how their body
language plays into the scenario.
Understand that their body language
may mean the opposite of what you
think. Observe without deciding on
a conclusion.
3.
Think hard about the subtlety
of language. If you do not understand
or speak the local language well,
translation into yours may not be
what is truly meant.
4.
Do not ask questions meant
to give answers you assume or desire.
What should you not assume?
1. That the person giving you
advice or counsel is qualified to do so.
2. That the person giving you
advice assumes you know.
3. That market conditions are the
same.
4. That contracts and procedures
are not different.
How do people negotiate? Is there a
rule of thumb for a percentage you can
expect to offer from the asking price?
Carefully choose who will represent
you. Do they have the knowledge and
patience to guide you through the
process?
Do you understand the documents
you will sign? Are you or the seller
asking for illegal or unenforceable
conditions? How you legally binding
yourself when you sign an offer?
My opinion is that the average agent
you will work with in any country will
not know all the answers. I believe
strongly that you should have competent
legal counsel when you are buying or
selling property in a foreign country.
You should hire a bilingual, bicultural
attorney to be part of your team.
What is common to put down to
“bind” the offer? How is safe title
assured? What are your closing costs
as a buyer or seller? What conditions
are you agreeing to in case of default?
Are properties bought “as is”? Can
contingencies be included?
Who is qualified to do an
inspection? Are inspections the same
as in your home market? Can you
negotiate cost of repairs?
How do you take title to a property?
Who is qualified to transfer the
property and where is it done? Do
you have to be present at closing?
How do you send money for a
purchase in a foreign country? What
currency will it be in, who holds the
funds until the title is transferred into
your name? When is the money sent?
How long does an average closing
take?
How do you make sure that the
seller has paid his monthly expenses
before you own the property? Who
makes sure this is done? What is
common for the market?
Can you obtain title insurance?
Who can issue it and how much does
it cost? What are the exceptions to
title insurance?
Are there occupants in the
property? What procedures will
protect you against a problem with
taking possession?
How will you maintain the property?
Who will pay the expenses? Are you
in a climate which requires a certain
system of maintenance and cleaning?
What are the natural enemies to your
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
asset?
Humidity?
Earthquake?
Fire? High water? Termites or other
varmints? What benefits do you owe
your employees?
Whom can you trust to oversee
your property? What system for
accountability have you worked
out? What is a fair amount to pay for
expenses and management?
What do you owe each year
for the property… taxes... federal
zone... income tax for rentals... trust
payment?
What legal documents do you
receive at closing, and when and how
do you receive them?
Do you understand the difference in
the culture where you now own? Do
you know how the concept of time is
treated? Do you have the patience
and desire to learn a new set of rules?
Have you located yourself?
This article is based upon legal
opinions, current practices and my
personal experiences in the Puerto
Vallarta-Bahía de Banderas areas.
I recommend that each potential
buyer or seller conduct his own due
diligence and review.
Harriet Murray
Can be contacted at:
harriet@casasandvillas.com
ISSUE
326
Large Dorado surprisingly return
to El Moro, bait explosion!
By
Stan Gabruk
The last couple of weeks have
been disappointing at best with the
change of season, the current changes
and the lack of great fishing to the
jaded and spoiled types like myself.
But fear not, things have changed, for
the moment anyway, and you’ll find
nice sized Dorado, Sailfish, even a
shot at Striped Marlin so stay tuned,
fishing just got better!
One of the things that can and does
throw the local fishing for a loop is
the amount of bait in the area. We
want a balance of just enough bait
to keep the fish in the area, but not
too much so they won’t pay attention
to your presentation (trolled bait or
lure). We now have situation where
we’re seeing Krill-sized Shrimp
with these hard shells arriving in the
area. This means the local Sardines
that moved into the area in a big
way are now feeding on them like
my first wife at a free buffet! Bullet
Bonito and Bullet Skip Jack tuna are
feeding on them, so there’s a balance
of sorts in there somewhere. Throw
the abundant flying fish into the mix,
with who knows what else for bait
out there in the local fishing grounds,
and you’ve got a perfect situation
the boat captains get excited about.
As exciting as this gets the locals,
for now your best bet is using lures
and dead bait. You’d think these
(Owner of Master Baiter’s Sportfishing & Tackle)
fish would be chowing down on
the abundant bait, but no, they’re
taking lures of silver and blue color,
actually anything that looks like a
Sardine will do the job, so check
your bag of tricks, amigo!
For those looking to boat a Marlin,
you’ll have a shot at Corbeteña and
El Banco. But when I say you’ll
have a ¨shot¨, that’s about all you’ll
have. Jack Crevalle and Bonito
have taken over the area and frankly
why would you visit a farther out
area, for max money, for the same
fish you can get in the bay? My
recommendation: wait until next
summer before you seriously
consider a trip to this area. If things
change, I’ll tell you… If you have
to take a shot at a Striped Marlin,
head to the point of Punta Mita, set
a heading of 300, and 14 to 17 miles
out you’ll find whatever there is to
find. Good luck, amigos!
The big surprise this week is that
larger Dorado to 50 lbs. (25 to 35 lbs.
being the average) are off El Moro
enjoying the upwellings and taking
advantage of the bait being pushed to
the surface. Some Sailfish are also in
the area with reports of fair sized ones
being boated. If you move in the
direction of the Marieta Islands just
six miles north or so, you’ll find the
Rooster fish are starting to pick up in
numbers with the increased Sardine
populations. Roosters for now are
in the 35 to 456-lb range but could
increase shortly, stay tuned. If you
continue in a northward direction,
you’ll find Dorado are also in the
channel between the island and the
point off Punta Mita. So for my fuel
dollar, I’d be looking at this as my
first and best option for those looking
for something for the dinner table
bragging rights. We are expecting to
have Red Snapper show up any day.
Sierra Mackerel are also running in
the 15 to 20-lb range, which is huge
for this fish since they don’t really get
much larger than this. Throw in the
Jack Crevalle and Bonito in the 30
to 50-lb range and you’ve got a day
you’ll remember for the rest of your
life …and your arms will be sore
for days after. Take care you keep
enough flexibility to eat these great
fish and if you come in with too much
fish, I’d like to suggest me as you
favorite charity!
Inside the bay is a machine for
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
Fish Tales
27
Jack Crevalle in the Nuevo Vallarta
area, short days and lots of fish, this
is the place to go. Plenty of Jacks
everywhere in the bay. Bonito, Skip
jack Tuna all around Yelapa with
Sierra Mackerel rounding out the
abundant smaller species available.
Rooster fish will be around the shore
for the surf fishing guy. You’ll most
likely come across several whales
while in the bay and this all adds
up to a great day on the affordable
side. I can’t stress enough how
much fun it is to hook into 10 to
15 Jack Crevalle and if you’re with
younglings, all the better…
The bite is about 11 to just after
3 p.m., I suggest being where you
want to be well before 11 a.m.
Until next time, don’t forget
to kiss your fish and remember:
at Master Baiter’s Sportfishing
& Tackle “We Won’t Jerk You
Around!”
Master Baiter’s has changed
locations in Marina Vallarta,
now between docks A and B
on the boardwalk. Email your
questions to me at: CatchFish@
MasterBaiters.com.mx Web page:
www.MasterBaiters.com.mx , local
Phone at: (044) 322 779-7571 or if
roaming: 011 521 322 779-7571 cell
phone direct. Facebook: http://www.
facebook.com/pages/Master-BaitersSportfishing-Tackle/88817121325
The trade name Master Baiter’s ®
Sportfishing and Tackle is protected
under trade mark law and is the sole
property of Stan Gabruk.
28
Calendar / Directories
ISSUE
326
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
ISSUE
326
Nearly finished
By
Gil Gevins
W
e sat down recently with
Vallarta author, Gil Gevins, at his
wife’s marvelous shop, Lucy’s CuCu
Cabaña, hoping to learn, over a
couple of cappuccinos, all about his
widely-anticipated new book.
PVM: So, tell us, Gil, you must be
really excited.
GG: About what?
PVM: Your latest book coming out.
GG: Who told you it was finished?
PVM: Well… you did.
GG: And you believed me?
PVM: Why wouldn’t I?
GG: I thought you were a
journalist. Didn’t they teach you
anything in journalism school? How
to be tough. Skeptical. Cynical.
Alcoholic?
PVM: I’m beginning to feel a
little uncomfortable.
GG: Uncomfortable? How do
you think I feel? Do you know how
many people keep asking me, “Hey,
you got a new book out yet?” I’m
afraid to leave the house. I’m afraid
to go to work. They keep coming
in the shop, expecting me to have a
new book. Who do they think I am,
Steven King? They think I can churn
out a book once a year like I was
some kind of human book factory?
Do I look like a book factory?
PVM: Well, no, you…
GG:
That was a rhetorical
question. What is wrong with these
people? Don’t they have anything
better to do than make me feel guilty
for disappointing them? Don’t they
have jobs? Families to feed?
PVM: I think many of them are
probably here on vacation.
GG: Then why aren’t they at
the beach? Did they all run out of
sunscreen at the same time? Are
they allergic to sand?
PVM: Aren’t these folks your
fans?
GG: Oh, don’t get me wrong. I
love my fans. I’d take a bullet for
each and every one of them. If
they needed money, I’d try to find
someone dumb enough to loan it
to them. I’m telling you, I can’t
do enough for my fans, because
without them, I couldn’t afford to
eat organic. Without my fans I’d
be living on Velveeta™ and canned
tortillas.
PVM: Yes, well, how about
giving our readers some hint as to
what your new book is about?
GG:
My psychiatrist, Dr.
Mendoza, says I was traumatized
early in life by the sheer volume
of people I disappointed: parents,
teachers, classmates and, of course,
my guidance counselor, Mr. Mincely.
I’ve never revealed this publicly, but
Mr. Mincely actually accused me of
being an under-achiever. You know
what I told him?
PVM: Gil, couldn’t we perhaps
talk about your new book? Even
if it’s not finished, it must be fairly
well along.
GG: I am talking about the book.
This is from Chapter XXVIII,
entitled, “I Would Take Instruction
From An Iguana, Before I Accepted
Guidance from this Moron”, where I
have it out with Mr. Mincely.
PVM: So, your new book is about
your youth, something like Portrait
of An Artist?
GG: Listen, I’m not even sure I’m
a writer. And I’m definitely no artist.
I can’t even draw an amorphous
shape.
PVM: I meant “artist” in the
generic sense.
GG: And I’m not a pharmacist,
either. Everyone keeps telling me to
finish the book - my wife, you, even
total strangers. Finish the book.
Well, I’m trying to finish the stupid
book, but I keep getting sidetracked.
First, it was my teeth. Do you know
how many root canals I’ve had in
the last two years? Extractions?
Crowns?
Cavities?
Aborted
periodontal interventions? Did you
know that Smith-Kline is thinking
of putting my profile on PercodanPlus™?
PVM: Of course you’re joking.
GG: No joke. It’s down to me
and Rush Limbaugh as to whose
cameo goes on the pills. And those
pharmaceutical companies pay a
fortune. If they pick me, I can give
up this dumb writing business and
go back to doing what I really want.
PVM: What’s that?
GG: Flossing.
PVM: Flossing?
GG: Yes, according to no less
an authority than Kurt Vonnegut,
spending less time writing and more
time flossing leads to a happier more
satisfying life. Do you think I’d be
having all these dental problems if
I’d flossed more, and typed less?
PVM: Um… so, the basic plot could you shed a little light on that?
GG: The basic plot? Sure. Boy
meets girl. Boy loses girl. Boy
meets another girl. Boy loses her,
too. Boy meets a third girl, and
loses her, as well. Then, Boy gets
all three girls back.
PVM: All three?
GG: It’s set in the Sixties. You
know: peace, love, herpes, crabs…
PVM: You have a working title?
GG: Menage á Cuatro.
PVM: Well, that’s uh, interesting.
French and Spanish. Won’t that be a
challenge for some readers?
GG: Absolutely. That’s why the
book also has a sub-title in English,
for people who can’t read.
PVM: And that would be…
GG: Sex, Sex and More Sex.
PVM: So, is this some kind of
coming-of-age-story?
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
Gil Gevins’ Page
29
GG: No, it’s more like a comingof-STD’s story. I have more excuses
for not finishing the book. Did I tell
you about my kidney stones? The
acid-reflux? Sylvester’s fur balls?
PVM:
Actually, I have an
appointment, so…
GG: Good. I’ll be brief. In fact,
I’ll sum it up in two words: ISIS
and Ebola. (Sneezes all over the
interviewer.
Interviewer lunges
out of chair.) Just kidding. I don’t
have Ebola. Yet. But I am terrified
of getting it. I’m also terrified that
ISIS is going to cut off my head. I’m
so scared, I can’t eat, I can’t sleep,
and--this is a point I’d appreciate if
you could stress to your readers - I
absolutely cannot write. So, tell
them to blame Donald, not me.
PVM: Donald Trump?
GG: Who else?
PVM: You know Donald Trump?
GG: God forbid. Now, as far as
themes go…
PVM: Finally! Yes, please tell us.
GG: The book, which has more
layers than a napoleon, contains
multiple themes. But the principle
one has to do with the transience,
the ephemeral nature of Spiritual
Singularities.
PVM: Spiritual Singularities?
What’s that?
GG: I don’t know. The gardener
thinks it’s a dating service.
Gil Gevins
Is the author of four hilarious books,
including the cult-classic, PUERTO
VALLARTA ON 49 BRAIN CELLS A DAY,
and his latest and greatest, SLIME AND
PUNISHMENT. Signed copies of all Gil’s
books are available at LUCY’S CUCU
CABAÑA, located at 295 Basilio Badillo;
or as E-Books on Amazon.
30
Hi-Tech
ISSUE
326
Laptop, Tablet and Smartphone Tips…
N
ot a week goes by that I don’t
get asked for some sort of advice
with regards to mobile technology,
whether it be general cleaning or
improving battery life. I originally
wrote this article for the onlineonly version of the PV Mirror last
August, but with all the snowbirds
back now, bringing tablets and
laptops, I’m being asked a lot about
this again. Let’s go over some of
the best tips I’ve found over the
years for getting the most out of
your mobile devices.
Now, the single most important
advice I can give, is the cleaning of
your devices’ screen. Whether it’s
a laptop screen, desktop monitor,
tablet, smartphone or even your flat
screen TV… DROP THE WINDEX
AND STEP AWAY FROM THE
SCREEN!
The chemicals in window
cleaners can “quickly” clean
dust, dirt and smudges from your
devices, but over time those same
chemicals can “burn” your screen.
The harshness of using a cleaner
can cause a greying or discoloring
of the most important part of your
device… the screen.
It’s best to just use a damp cloth
(having wrung out excess water)
on your screen. Gentle pressure
with a damp cloth will clean just
as well as windows cleaners, but
may just take a bit longer. The end
result will be a clean screen without
damaging it over time.
As far as general dust removal
from your laptop’s nooks and
crannies, running a vacuum (with
the upholstery attachment) over
the keyboard, fan grills and USB
connectors will keep those parts
clean and dust free. Vacuums are
not all that common down here in
paradise, so in a pinch picking up a
can of compressed air will do just as
good of a job. Just use short bursts
of air and make sure you keep the
can upright at all times.
For really soiled areas of a laptop,
like where your wrists rest on the
plastic or the touchpad, you can use
a small amount of window cleaner
on a cloth. But only on the plastic
areas - don’t get tempted to go at
the screen with it!
One of the other most common
questions I get about mobile
devices is about getting the most
out of the battery. First let’s address
the laptop users who generally use
their laptop always connected to a
power source. Constantly charging
your laptop can over time lead to
damaging the battery.
I’ve had clients that say that they
never used their laptop on battery
and then went on a trip and found
they only had like 15 minutes of
battery life before need to find an
electrical plug!
Some manufactures of laptops now
have power management programs
that will help stop “overcharging”
batteries and drain small amounts of
battery for you. I personally think
the “old school” manual method is
better. If you are one of those that
constantly use your laptop plugged
in then, once every couple of weeks,
unplug the power and run the laptop
on battery only.
Run on battery only right down
to the warning level of 20% before
plugging in the power again.
Another option is to take the battery
out altogether (if your model has
a removable battery-many new
laptops don’t). Then maybe once
every month, put the battery in,
charge up the battery fully and
run it down, then charge fully and
remove again for a month or two.
This will ensure you do have good
battery function when you do need
it. If your laptop battery has been
overcharging for a couple of years
already, it may already be too late,
but definitely worth the effort to try
at least. Definitely keep this tip in
mind for your next laptop purchase.
Now if you are away from a
power source for an extended
period of time, there are things you
can tweak to extend the battery
time. The easiest tweak is to turn
off the Wi-Fi radio. If you don’t
need the internet on your laptop,
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
tablet or smartphone, you can just
turn off the Wi-Fi.
Another big hog of battery time
on all mobile devices is the screen
brightness. Turning down you
screen brightness to 50% (or even
less in evenings) can really help get
the most out of your battery time.
On the iPad and iPhone, a couple
of additional battery hogs are the
Bluetooth radio and localization
being turned on by default. Under
“settings”, the Bluetooth radio can
be turned off easily. Unless you use
a Bluetooth headset or keyboard
with your device, there’s no need
for this radio to be turned on and
just draining the battery.
Now
“localization”
allows
Apps on your device to constantly
communicate where you are located
geographically. Again, most often
this is just a battery drain and can
be turned off. If you happen to
need an App that “needs” to know
where you are, it will simply ask
you to turn it on again. To turn off
localization on Apple devices, go
to “settings” then “privacy” and
turn it off.
Manufacturers are constantly
looking to extend battery time for
consumers, but doing a few tweaks
on your own can help even more.
That’s all my time for now. See
you again next week.
Until then, remember…
Only safe Internet!
Ronnie Bravo
Ron can be found at CANMEX Computers.
Sales, Repairs, Data Recovery,
Networking, Wi-Fi, Hardware upgrades,
Graphic Design, House-calls available.
www.RonnieBravo.com,
Cellular 044-322-157-0688 or just
email to Canmex@Gmail.com
ISSUE
326
A Tale of Two Cities
By
Mark Hanley
W
hen it comes down to the end
of the season, as it has with football
season, it always devolves to four
teams and then two as I wrote about
last week in my first piece for the
Mirror. My new editor, Allyna
Vineberg, who wrote me such a
nice and funny intro last week, has
specified 800 words. Last week
I spent 1500 on one game. This
week, 800 words on two games. I
accept the challanje, as Inspector
Clouseau would say.
Seattle, 51o, 25 mph wind, rain.
Packers at Seahawks. Foxborough,
Mass. 36 o, 5 mph wind, rain.
Colts at Patriots. White Hats and
Black Hats? Pete Carroll saddled
USC with years of probation and
sanctions.
And Bill Belichick
illegally taped the Jets practice,
(Taperiots).
Both are widely
regarded across the NFL (Don
Shula, Hall of Fame Former Coach
of the Dolphins, called Belichick
“Belicheat” in an interview) as the
coaches of the dirtiest NFL teams.
Mike McCarthy, the Packers’
Solution to crossword on page 35
coach, is Mr. Rotarian; Chuck
Pagano is a fellow cancer survivor.
Love them both. More on that
next week, in the off week, before
the Super Bowl, on new NFL
Rules. But one underdog, (both the
visitors) showed up playoff tested
and hostile. One did not. The
games turned on 4 things:
1.
The 12th Man worked, but
against the home team favorites.
After Seattle won the opening toss
and elected to defer, both teams
drove the length of the field only to
turn the ball over on interceptions.
The rest of the first half for Seattle
was turnovers, 3 defensive offsides;
two hand to the face penalties, and
2 turnovers (on their way to 5),
and multiple false starts. Turns out
Seattle led the NFL in false starts,
mostly at home. In New England,
the 12th man turned out to be deflated
footballs, Belicheat? Like Chuck
Pagano, I was astonished when
the Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri, a
former Patriot who had made 49
field goals in a row, missed a field
goal near the end of the 1st half so
badly right you wondered about his
eyesight. The NFL has announced
it is investigating. That serious.
2.
Physicality - Pro Football
is a brutally violent sport. But
there is fair play and unwritten
rules between the players that you
don’t cross. Green Bay arrived
in Seattle aware of the Seahawks’
habit of physically intimidating
their opponents and was fully
prepared to defend them. Early
in the game, offensive lineman TJ
Lang incurred an unsportsmanlike
penalty for post play aggression. It
wasn’t an accident; he was sending
a message, just the first of many.
When Clay Matthews hit Russell
Wilson upside the head in the Q1
and incurred a 15-yard targeting
penalty, it wasn’t an accident. He
was sending a message. Wilson
wasn’t right for the rest of the
quarter or again in the 3rd when
Matthews did it again.
Don’t applaud it, but there was
a reason. When Seattle repeatedly
grabbed, choked, and held GB
receivers, they cried foul until
they finally got the officials to start
calling it. When Seahawk defenders
hit Packer ball carriers out of
bounds their whole bench jumped
up and in. Even Aaron Rodgers,
about the coolest cucumber you’ll
ever see, was quick to get up off the
ground on a late hit and jump and
jaw in the defenders’ face. In New
England, the Colts didn’t come
prepared to be the manliest men
on the field. Hence, the plethora
of dropped passes and sacks on key
downs. They got beat up, BAD.
3.
Conversions: After the first
drive turnover, Green Bay went to
the red zone six times and came
away with four Mason Crosby
field goals and one touchdown.
Solution to Sudoku on page 35
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
Sports
31
22 points. Seattle went to the
red zone 4 times and came away
with 4 touchdowns and 28 points.
Ballgame. Indianapolis drove into
the end zone its first time down
the field. New England drove into
theirs 3 straight times. Halftime
was 21-7 and then 3 more times,
plus 3 field goals in the 2nd half.
New England vs. Seattle in Super
Bowl 49, (XLIV?).
4.
In game coaching: Fake
field goal with pre-announced
offensive lineman scores the Pats a
touchdown. Green Bay elects field
goals on 4th and 1 in the red zone
more than once. You can no longer
do that in today’s NFL. Stars
came showed up: Brady, Luck,
Rodgers, Wilson. Sherman, Revis,
Matthews, Gronkowski, Fleener,
Troup, Edelman, Lynch, so in two
weeks the largest corporate and
TV commercial in the world, the
Super Bowl takes place in Glendale
Arizona with the two most talented
NFL teams whatever that means…?
Mark Henley
Has been coming to PV since ’78. He’s
a sports fan(atic) “with a writing talent
and too much free time on his hands.”
Mark’s writings have been published in
industry newspapers and the New York
Times, he was also interviewed in the
Wall Street Journal.
Nature’s World
32
ISSUE
326
The national seal of Mexico
By
Dr. Fabio Cupul
“Right in the middle of the Mexican
flag there is the image showing the
left profile of an eagle, the upper
part of its wings are higher than its
tuft and slightly opened in a combat
attitude, with their feathers aimed
downwards, touching the tail, while
the tail’s feathers are in their natural
fan-like position, posed on its left
foot on a flowering cactus born of a
rock jutting out of a lake, while the
right talon and the beak are holding
(as if to eat) a rattle snake whose
body is curved…”
That description of the national seal
was decreed by Mexico’s President
Miguel de la Madrid on December
30th, 1983, based on the model drawn
by artist Francisco Eppens Helguera.
In the creation of the seal, the basis
taken was the continuous presence of
birds in the religion, the myths and
the epics of the ancient peoples of
Mexico, without forgetting the tones
which the image of the eagle have
acquired since the conquest and up
until post-revolutionary times.
According to the legend, the
foundation of today’s Mexico City
was the culmination of a seven
centuries long pilgrimage begun
with the Aztec in the mythical region
of Aztlán (purportedly in what is
known nowadays as Mexcaltitán in
the State of Nayarit, located on the
central western coast of
the country) to the Valle
del Anáhuac, today’s Valle
de México, following
the orders of their god
Huitzilopochtli who had
told them to settle in the
place where they would
encounter an eagle on a
large cactus, full of fruit.
They found such a place on
an island in the middle of
a lake, which was built to
raise Tenochtitlán (which
means tunal entre los pedregales), in
the year 1325, as the Aztec capital.
In the ancient stone carvings and
codices, we can see a bird clutching a
cactus fruit in its talons and, in some
cases, there are even other birds, but
no snake. The image of the snake
was introduced in the hieroglyph of
the city’s foundation only after the
Conquest had taken place, once the
Spaniards, moved by their evangelic
zeal, had imposed the religious sense
and the moral of a battle between
good and evil into the emblem. This
new icon appeared in 1581, when
the eagle became the symbol of the
power of the State, the superior and
the vital, while the snake symbolized
sin, the lowly, the perverse and the
harmful.
The eagle in our national seal has
been depicted in different positions
during the country’s history: either
facing front with the wings extended
or folded down, in three-quarters
or in profile, with the head facing
left or right, and even wearing an
imperial crown. But it was not until
1934, under President Abelardo L.
Rodriguez, that the seal such as we
know it was formally adopted.
It was to be used by civil, military
and foreign service authorities,
as well as on coins and medals.
Furthermore, that was the first time
that the presence of the golden eagle
(Aquila chrysaetos) is recognized,
a bird of prey that summarizes the
greatness of the country.
The late Dr. Enrique Beltrán,
the first Mexican biologist (1926),
commented in his writings that
golden eagles are jealous guardians of
mountainous territories, with a single
couple generally watching over an
area that can be larger than 50 square
kilometers.
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
They do not tolerate any intruders
of the same species which would be
capable of fighting them for their
prey, which are usually rabbits,
squirrels and other wild mammals.
Snakes are totally excluded from that
diet – which gives the national seal a
biological contradiction.
But the snake is not only thing
excluded from the original image on
which the national seal is based, that
of the eagle is too! The bird described
by various chroniclers es “a beautiful
bird with superb, shiny feathers” with
a marked cowlick and featherless feet.
According to that description, it is
possible that the bird seen by ancient
Mexicans was actually a southern
crested caracara (Caracara plancus)
that has a black comb, big feet, and
a bare section on the head with his
bright orange in color. In flight, we
can see its characteristic contrasting
markings of a while throat and chest,
a black stomach, and a black and
white tail.
But, as Dr. Enrique Beltrán wrote,
“in any case, whether we’re dealing
with a golden eagle or a southern
crested carcara, and whether it is
devouring a bird or a snake, the basic
fact is the same: there is a bird in our
seal” that represents power, beauty,
majesty and the gallantry of the soul
of today’s Mexico.
Dr. Fabio Germán Cupul-Magaña
Coastal University Center (CUC)
of the University of Guadalajara
Email: fabio_cupul@yahoo.com.mx
ISSUE
326
Nature’s World
33
The Northern Migration: In search of sustenance & population growth
By
Keith May
Executive Director
Oscar Frey,
Oceanographer & Chief Researcher
Deep Blue Conservancy
W
e have discussed Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrations from Banderas
Bay in great detail over the past two years. This
season we are delving further afield. We spent a
great deal of the summer documenting
the differences of the usage of the southern migration grounds versus that of the
northern migration grounds by the Eastern North Pacific “Coastal” Humpback
Stock. This stock is composed of the individuals that we experience from mid-November through mid-April every year.
As we’ve discussed before, the migrations between these two distinct locations
isn’t necessarily about the distance traveled. However, we believe that these two
unique areas are important as they relates
to the sheltering, breeding, birthing and
feeding activities of the whales. These
two areas serve as yet another opportunity for these gentle giants to utilize their
environmental conditions for the overall
survival of the species.
We know for a fact that the northern grounds
and the southern grounds serve very different
functions for one of the world’s most acrobatic
and vocal species on the planet. The southern
grounds — located between the states of Oaxaca, Mexico and Nayarit, Mexico — are important
to the beginning of reproduction that allows the
species to continue to grow in numbers. The northern grounds — stretching from Monterey Bay,
California to Vancouver, British Columbia — are
equally important, as these areas provide the solid food resources and sustenance needed for caloric energy production.
The Eastern North Pacific “Coastal” Humpback Stock — indicated by the red arrow in the
illustration — is composed of approximately
2,700 - 2,800 members and is one of the fastest
recovering groups on the planet. Humpback whales were decimated, by up to almost 90% of the
original population, until the anti-whale agreements of the 1960s. Sadly, there are some countries — primarily Japan, Norway and Iceland — that continue to slaughter whales in the name of scientific research. Via
a loophole in the conventions of protection adopted
in the last century, most whaling countries sell the
whale meat and by-products for pure profit. These
countries are under great pressure to stop the onslaught. However, these pleas continue to fall upon
deaf ears, and profit and greed continue to rule the
day. Money buys votes and votes maintain the status quo — all in the name of “science.”
Worldwide, Humpback whale populations have
grown to about 75,000. This number represents
approximately 10% of the original population before whaling began in the 18th Century. Most populations are experiencing an average growth rate of
approximately 3% annually. Remarkably, the group
of whales that we have the privilege of knowing
here in Puerto Vallarta is experiencing an annual
growth rate of approximately 6% – 7% annually.
While we have no strong evidence to prove this, we
believe that this incredible growth rate might somehow be linked to education and conservation efforts
and the fact that this group migrates in fully protected waters along the western coasts of Mexico, the
United States and on into Canada.
After the breeding and birthing season of 2013 2014 in Banderas Bay, we moved our research to
Monterey Bay, California during the summer feeding season of 2014. Our goal was to document the
differences in the acoustical and behavior differences in the feeding grounds. The data collection and
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
comprehensions that we received were simply
incredible!
The differences between the behaviors here
and there were significantly different. These observations and documentations have enticed us to
move forward in expanding our Humpback whale research in an entirely new direction. The way
the whales utilize the two different environments
was beyond anything that we ever expected. It is
an exciting new time for our research as we move
above and beyond any research that has been
conducted within this specific realm
and these two locations.
In our next article, we’ll explore how
the Humpback whales prepare for the
migration and how we plan to migrate with them to document their movements along the migration route and
into the feeding grounds. We hope to
wrap up our summation of our summer
documentation and present it online in
the winter of 2015. We will keep you
advised.
Through the education arm of our
non-foundation, Deep Blue Conservancy, we continue to educate the public
about the importance of conservation
through the education arm of our foundation. We work daily to ensure the survival of this incredible species.
Deep Blue Conservancy is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation. All donations benefiting our research are tax deductible, very much appreciated
and always benefit Humpback whale research in
and around Banderas Bay. Non-profit individual,
corporate or family grant contributions are also
greatly appreciated. Information is available at
the website.
If you’d like to learn more about responsible
whale watching or would like to venture out on
the bay to see these magnificent creatures, please
visit us at Deep Blue Conservancy (www.DeepBlueConservancy.org).
Please consider joining our email list by visiting www.OceanFriendly.com to sign up for our
free email update service. By joining the list, you
will show your support of our work and will be
kept updated on our research projects and findings as we move forward to conserve this incredible species.
34
Nature’s World
ISSUE
326
Planting Roots
in Mexico
By
Tommy Clarkson
Surinam Cherry
Eugenia uniflora
Family: Myrtaceae
Also known as: Brazilian
Cherry or Cayenne Cherry
N
ative to Surinam (well, duh!),
Guyana, French Guiana and southern
Brazil, this shrub - or, maybe, more
correctly a tree as it can grow up to 25
(7.5 m) - has slender, multi-trunked,
spreading branches and lightly
aromatic foliage. (I just went out and
smelled my potted specimen and –
though not related by birth, marriage
or adoption – it has a delicately
pungent smell reminiscent of the pine
family!)
It sports leaves opposite of each
other that are bronze when young,
evolving to deep-green and glossy
when mature. In cooler climes they
turn red in dry winter weather. These
are ovate to ovate-lanceolate and
either blunt or sharp-pointed being
1½ to 2½ inches (4 – 6 ¼ cm) long.
Continuing with a description of
the Eugenia uniflora, it has longstalked flowers which are borne
singly or - as many as - four together.
Each of these small blossoms has four
delicate, recurved, white petals with a
wholly delightful tuft of fifty to sixty
highly prominent white stamens with
pale yellow anthers.
Now the primary reason for this
plant’s existence is its wonderful 7
to 8 ribbed, oblate fruit – for a good
visual description, I liken them to
tiny red pumpkins! These are ¾ to
1½ inches (2 - 4 cm) in size, turning
from green to orange and then, when
mature, bright red to deep scarlet, or
even a purplish maroon when fully
ripe. They are ready to devour
when they easily fall off into
your hand and are as cute as the
proverbial “button”!
As historical aside, it’s
purported that Portuguese
sailors transported the seed from
Brazil to India, then to Italy and the
rest of southern Europe, and finally
into Florida. The skin of this fruit is thin and
very juicy, ranging from acid to
sweet, with a touch of resin and slight
bitterness. (Interestingly, while Jose,
Juan and I love them, Patty does not
care for their taste… which leaves
more for my core gardener team and
me!) Inside them there can be one
reasonably large, round seed or two
or three smaller ones, each with a
flattened side, slightly attached to
the fruit’s flesh by just a few slender
fibers.
Through the development of
cultivars, there are now several
varieties that have been developed
that are absent of that somewhat
bitter flavor. Two of these are the
Lolita Surinam Cherry and the
Chamba Surinam Cherry. The former
is nearly black when ripe and quite
sweet - with all but no aftertaste. The
latter rivals the flavor of a traditional
cherry and the melt-in-your mouth
factor is amazing! It is fire engine red
in color and also has very little – if
any - resinous aftertaste.
The seeds of this base plant,
however, are extremely resinous and
should not be eaten. Diarrhea can
result with dogs that have been fed
the whole fruits by children. Some
assert that the emanation from bushes
being pruned can irritate respiratory
passages of sensitive folks.
These fruits are a fun addition to
Each of its small blossoms has
four delicate, recurved, white
petals with a tuft of 50 to 60
highly prominent white stamens
with pale-yellow anthers.
homes as when walked upon
they release a somewhat
pungent oil that repels flies.
Another use is for the bark, as
it contains tannin and can be
used for treating leather.
Beyond its great fruit and
these uses, how might you or
I employ this plant? It makes
a good shrub, kept smaller
in size as a potted specimen,
free-standing tree or trained
and trimmed as buffer strips.
It is said to like part sun and
part shade, but mine does
well in nearly full sun.
Propagated by seed or cuttings,
scale and caterpillars are its primary
nemesis with no major disease
problems.
As regards its Latin name – the
Eugenia part comes from Prince
Eugene of Savoy, 1663-1736, who
was into botany and horticulture and,
supposedly, at the time of his death
was the richest man in the world.
Uniflora comes from the Latin unus,
meaning “one or single” and folium,
defined as “to bloom”.
Homeopathically, the leaf infusion
can be taken as a stomachic and
astringent or drunk as a cold remedy
and, in combination with lemongrass,
as a febrifuge. (A’hhh… the array of
minutia you glean from these works in
preparation for your playing Jeopardy
is simply amazing!)
Tommy Clarkson
Its cherry-sized, ribbed fruit
are a bright red when fully ripe.
fruit cups, salads and ice cream as
well as having the great potential for
pickles, pies, jelly, jams, relish or
syrup.
In Brazil, locals sometimes spread
the leaves over the floors of Brazilian
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
In Manzanillo, visit Ola Brisa Gardens,
Tommy and Patty’s verdant, multiterraced tropical paradise nestled on
a hill overlooking the magnificent vista
of Santiago Bay. Leisurely meander its
curved, paved path, experiencing, first
hand, a delicious array of palms, plants
and flowers from all over the world.
Or, e-mail questions to him at
olabrisa@gmail.com
For back issues of “Roots”, gardening tips,
tropical plant book reviews and videos of
numerous, highly unique eco/adventure/
nature tours, as well as memorable
“Ultimate Experiences” such a Tropical
Garden Brunches and Spa Services,
please visit www.olabrisagardens.com
ISSUE
326
Brain Teasers
The New York Times Tuesday Crossword Puzzle
by Peter A. Collins / Will Shortz ©New York Times
Solution to Crossword
on Page 31
SUDOKU!
Sudoku is a logic-based placement puzzle.
The aim of the puzzle is to enter a numerical digit from 1 through 9 in each row,
column and group of squares enclosed by the bold lines (also called a box). Each
box must contain each number only once, starting with various digits given in some
cells (the “givens”). Each row, column, and region must contain only one instance of
each numeral. Completing the puzzle requires patience.
It is recommended as therapy because some studies have suggested they might
improve memory, attention and problem solving while staving off mental decline
and perhaps reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.
Solution to Sudoku on Page 31
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015
35
ISSUE
326
AEROTRON
226-8440
AIR CANADA 01 800 719-2827
AIR TRANSAT 01 800 900-1431
ALASKA
01 800 252-7522
AMERICAN
01 800 904-6000
CONTINENTAL
See United
DELTA 01 800 266-0046
FRONTIER
01 800 432-1359
INTERJET
01 800 011-2345
SUN COUNTRY 01 800 924-6184
UNITED
01 800 864-8331
US AIRWAYS 01 800 428-4322
AEROMEXICO 01 800 021-4000
Saturday 24 to Friday 30
January 2015