Me in Mexico

(no, that's not me in the picture but he does look like he's having fun, doesn't he?)

It was early Saturday morning. I woke up at 4:30 for the flight, with ease of course. Waking up "that early" is sleeping in for me. And as I opened my eyes, I realized that for the next 7 days of my life, I would feel normal again. Because waking up at 3 a.m. is not normal. But if being not normal means I get to live and breathe my passion, then so be it. For now anyway.

Passport? Check.
Flight information? Check.
Cell phone? Check.
Cash? Check.

I had a laundry list of items that needed to be checked off before leaving my cozy apartment. Finally, rest and relaxation. The hard work is starting to pay off I think to myself. It's been nearly five years, and saving the money for a vacation has not been easy. You've heard the term "starving artist". Although I never would have categorized myself as such, I didn't make a lot of dough out of college. My first job as a journalist? $19,000. You get the picture. Just don't let the number fool you into thinking it was a depressing time in my life. I made great friends, learned a lot about myself and this thing called "reporting".

That of course is another topic in blogs. This is about "Me in Mexico". Several more blogs will follow this one on my trip to Mexico, experiences and such. For now---Mexico. What comes to mind when you think of Mexico today? Swine flu maybe? The drug war? Kidnappings? "Mexico is a dangerous place!"---I quote several of the people closest to me, which made me realize at the time when I was contemplating on where to vacation, that people are fearful. Afraid they may catch the H1N1 virus, even though it had already made its way to the U.S. AFRAID that they may get kidnapped if they ventured away from their resorts. When I declared to the newsroom, "I'm going to Los Cabos, Mexico!" my co-workers snickered "Don't get kidnapped for ransom." Of course they were kidding, I thought to myself. But I could not ignore the stories I had heard and read about in the newspapers recently.

WAS IT SAFE FOR TOURISTS TO TRAVEL TO MEXICO? I was about to find out for myself.

"Airport Adventure"

It didn't take long (minutes after landing) for a local to approach us about attending a time-share presentation at one of the local resorts. If you've ever experienced it, you'll know they are persistent, rarely accepting no for an answer. I, however gladly obliged, recalling the time my family and I listened to a grueling sales pitch years ago. The payoff? FREE activities. I managed to negotiate a snorkeling trip, Sunset Cruise (dinner & drinks) and a Glass Bottom Boat tour. Plus, the 30 dollars we spent on the shuttle from the airport to OUR hotel. I spent much of Saturday in the pool, taking in the spectacular view of the deep blue ocean and stuffing my face with food. By bedtime, I contemplated whether or not meeting complete strangers for a "time-share presentation" at 8 o'clock the next morning was a good idea. All the news stories about drug cartels and kidnappings raced through my mind. Nah, I thought. But I woke up with apprehension, and as I walked out of my gated hotel to meet a taxi cab driver, waiting to take us to a resort selling time-shares I couldn't help but to question our safety. We were alone in the taxi, "Is anyone else coming?" I asked the driver in English. He shook his head no. I turned to my significant other, "What if we get kidnapped" I mouthed. He rolled his eyes and chuckled.

Clearly, we DID NOT get kidnapped. We did however, have to listen to a sales man named "Jeff" for three painful hours, trying desperately to convince us why we should invest $16,000 dollars in a one-week time share per year for the next 30 years of our lives. I downed two mimosas, and told the guy "Listen, I'm not signing anything."

p.s. Does anyone own a time-share? Thoughts!? On the surface, I think the whole thing is a scam. An attempt to rip tourists off...that could just be the journalist in me though.

In the end, we left with our three activities and a free bottle of tequila in tow (which by the way was crushed in our luggage on the way home to Salt Lake City. Now I'm stuck with a laundry basket full of clothes that stink like tequila.)

Anyway...Day One was an interesting adventure to say the least. It made me realize despite the very real danger of the drug war in Mexico, there is no reason for "tourists" to be scared of visiting the resorts.

That's my two cents.

Meanwhile...good reads.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/10/world/americas/10mexico.html

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-mexico-summit10-2009aug10,0,584254.story

Food Recall Crisis?

You like cookie dough? Yeah, I do too. What about peanuts? Ditto. Spinach & tomatoes? Everyone needs a good serving of veggies. Once a vegan turned vegetarian turned meat eater, I now enjoy the occasional steak too. I could use a daily dose of beef, but doctors don't recommend it.

Today's topic in blogs: PRODUCT RECALLS

This year alone---380,000 pounds of beef were RECALLED. That's a lot of hamburgers. The recall had me checking the dates on the prepackaged meat I recently bought from the grocery store. Then there was the peanut butter; specifically peanut products. I practically live off PB&J. It's the equivalent to recalling top ramen noodles. HOW DOES THAT HAPPEN? When I got word that Nestle Toll House cookie dough was recalled, I thought "okay, that's probably a good thing for my waistline." But in all seriousness, spinach, tomatoes, jalapenos (may be missing a few food products) have all been on the FDA's list of recalls. What's next?

E. Coli, Salmonella---it's spreading fear and has Americans analyzing what's on their plate. Is this safe to eat? If the FDA can't protect us, who can? The Obama administration has now created a food safety panel aimed at strengthening safety standards. The new rules apply to poultry, beef, eggs, leafy greens, tomatoes etc.

Sounds like the Food and Drug Administration is non-verbally fessing up to a break down in food safety. Part of the problem? There wasn't enough oversight to begin with. There are 150,000 food processing plants and warehouses that supply food to the country. President Barack Obama says the FDA doesn't have enough $$$ (money) or enough employees to inspect all the plants. Ugh. You mean all these years, there were thousands of plants & warehouses the FDA failed to inspect annually?

NEW RULES (in short)

1. Better tracking systems, designed to trace where a bacterial outbreak originates
2. Better communication
3. New standards for egg and poultry producers
4. An increase in meat inspections
5. Stricter standards for vegetable producers

Part of the plan includes hiring more employees to oversee food safety. I should mention that the FDA isn't the only agency that inspects foods. The Agriculture Department mostly inspects meat, poultry and some egg products. There are more than a dozen GOVERNMENT agencies that overlook the country's food safety system. What do you think of the U.S. food safety system? Do you think the new rules are just a way to create an illusion that the administration is taking action? Or is this a step in the right direction?

For a more detailed look at the FDA's new rules, check out:
www.fda.gov
www.usda.gov

How much is TOO MUCH?

Does the date August 16, 1977 ring a bell? Think. Now think really hard...

It may be a distant memory, tucked away on a shelf or in a closet somewhere at home, along with a collection of other memorabilia. Unless you're an Elivs Presley fan. He died many years ago, but his death is an example of how the mainstream media has evolved over the decades.

Read on...

Celebrity coverage. It's my topic in blogs today, only because a notable number of celebrities have died over the past week. The number is notable, however most of the coverage has been focused on the King of Pop. Michael Jackson's death has dominated the airwaves since his death last week. Since that day, entire newscasts have been dedicated to M.J. (to his life and legacy). He was an important man to pop culture. An icon. That, no one can deny. I'm just wondering if anything else is going on in the world right now? I wouldn't know. My fellow journalists have been drowning in what seems like endless interest in Jackson's death.

It did not surprise me however, to see the national news obsessively filling air time with anything Michael Jackson. It is what I expected. After years in the business, I have come to learn many things about what journalism is today. I learned about what it was in University.

What it was...and what it is. Don't think it'll ever go back to the way it was. That statement doesn't not reflect my feelings about what journalism is today. Just an observation.

August 16, 1977. If the date isn't etched in your memory, it may be because of the way it was covered by the media more than 30 years ago. When the King of Rock 'n'Roll passed away, it didn't make the lead on the the CBS Evening News, most likely because whoever was in charge of coverage at the time didn't deem it newsworthy. Not worthy, but NEWSworthy. The head of CBS News at that time was Richard Salant.

His explanation? "Our job is not to respond to public taste."

It begs the question, how much is TOO much when it comes to celebrity coverage?

Infidelity in the Public Eye

There's a laundry list of dirty politicians that have been caught with their pants down. Yes. The pun was intended. My topic in blogs today: high-profile public officials busted for cheating on their wives. The most notable and infamous affair that sparked a wave of coverage on infidelity in the public eye was former President Bill Clinton. Who could forget that scandal? Sure the rumor mill has always included past Presidents, and while their alleged cheating was quietly swept under a rug, Mr. Clinton's salacious affair ignited a flurry of interest into public officials' personal lives.

The latest to publicly admit and tearfully apologize to an affair is South Carolina's Governor Mark Sanford. The details surrounding his disappearance were downright bizarre and cause for speculation that Mr. Sandford wasn't telling "us" something. That something was a mistress.

The dirty laundry list of politicians includes (but is not limited to) past Presidential hopeful John Edwards. Who could forget his ailing wife by his side as he confessed his sins on national television? Then there was New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, who couldn't keep it in his pants. He was nabbed for his involvement in a high-priced prostitution ring. In case you forgot, former NY Mayor Rudy Giuliani, current NY Gov. David Paterson, and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich have also been in the spotlight for their affairs.

Unfaithful politicians publicly pay the price for their infidelity: humiliation, a damaged reputation, and in some cases the end of a political career. These men are not the first, and they certainly won't be the last to be dubbed "cheaters", all of their political achievements tainted and sometimes forgotten. Some say a politician who betrays his wife betrays the public's trust: do you agree? Is a dishonest husband also a dishonest politician, businessman, lawyer, or doctor?

I'm not going to analyze why politicians cheat. Over inflated egos? I don't think the answer is that simple. And since I'm not a psychologist, I won't attempt to dissect their behavior. All I want to know is: is it any of our business? Does the public have a right to know? And since I'm a journalist, I can only ask the questions...not answer them.