Face Masks, Paranoia, and the Mexican Overreaction

This is hopefully the second-to-last post on the outbreak of AH1N1.  I’ve been following two main themes, the first of which is the use of face masks and the second a discussion of AH1N1 mortality in Mexico.  Yesterday, I had a few links on the lack of mortality; as the “outbreak” subsides — the term [...]

NY Times on Mexican H1N1 Mortality

The NY Times had an article (First Flu Death Provides Clues to Mexico Toll) posted this afternoon on the mortality of H1N1 in Mexico for which they interviewed several doctors at a hospital in Oaxaca.  The running theory discussed by the authors and the medical staff is that the initial patients waited too long before [...]

Preliminary Data on the Economic Costs of H1N1

Although the epidemic of swine flu continues to evolve here in Mexico, preliminary reports are starting to come out in regards to the economic costs of the swine flu epidemic.  Why care about economics?  Certainly, in the case of an epidemic, short-term priorities should be to prevent the spread of a disease.  However, in the [...]

Blag… Blag… Blagojevitch in the Mexican Press

Yesterday, the governor of the great state of Illinois, Rod Blagojevitch, was arrested on multiple charges of corruption surrounding his alleged attempts to sell the former senate seat of Barack Obama ‘to the highest bidder.’  Wow.  Illinois voters have sure picked some winners — the governor Blagojevitch replaced is currently behind bars, too.  If you [...]

Mouriño and the cartels

Nina, fellow Fulbrighter and researcher on Mexican government policy, has posted her take on the plane crash, with a great summary of the recent (and violent) history between Mouriño, the Mexican Government, and the drug cartels. With each passing day, I grow more confident that this was just a terrible tragedy.  But as Nina’s discussion [...]

More on the local reaction….

I’ve got nothing new to say, but these interviews (from El Universal / in Spanish) do a good job of capturing the opinions and fears of many other people that I’ve talked to.

Bush/Obama Montage

The Metro, the seemingly worldwide publication, has never been on my good side, probably because their pulpy, discarded free handouts litter the T in Boston.  But I caught this today on the Mexico City site while surfing for articles on Mouriño.  It might be worth a moment’s amusement… though it may already be “old news” [...]

Election Bits and Pieces

Oh, yes — it is election day back home in the big 50.  Down here, there’s plenty of media news and even more word on the street… but (at least on my street!) it’s mostly rumors about the possibility of wide-spread voter fraud, just like in México (2006).  I keep trying to tell everyone here that [...]

Art in the D.F. Metro

Previous BBC report on art in the Mexico City Metro.  I’ll have more to say later in the year, I’m sure! http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7503867.stm

New airline security threat

After several failed attempts, I’ve realized that I just don’t have it in me today to write some type of amusing/smarmy comment in regards to this link.  But if you can think of one, please do not hesitate to comment. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/7693386.stm