Headline of the Day- "Top Mexican anti-drug official resigns"

By the CNN Wire Staff

July 15, 2010 -- Updated 0028 GMT (0828 HKT)

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

(CNN) -- "Mexican President Felipe Calderon has announced the resignation of Interior Secretary Fernando Gomez Mont, who oversaw security efforts against drug cartels in Mexico.

"Gomez Mont will be succeeded by attorney Jose Francisco Blake Mora.

"'Currently, the country is facing challenges, but I am certain that us citizens, political actors and government have the potential, the duty and the will to surpass them,' Gomez Mont said.

"As interior minister, Gomez Mont oversaw the security strategy of the country against drug cartels, a battle that has cost thousands of lives. He also was in charge of operations such as the closure of an electric utility that had become inefficient and bloated, which was seen as a challenge to the power of the electricity workers' union.

"Blake Mora is an attorney from Baja California state who served as chief of staff to the state government from 2007 until this week. Previously, he was a councilman in Tijuana, as well as a state and federal congressman.

"Calderon also announced the resignation of Patricia Flores Elizondo, a senior presidential adviser. Mexico's current economic minister was to take her place as senior adviser, and Bruno Francisco Ferrari was named new economic minister."

I sit here watching Fox News because I like to hear what the competition is saying, even if it is non sense. I hear them speak about all of the illegal immigrants in Arizona. I hear them speak about two girls that were raped by illegal immigrants in AZ, and it is happening everyday (I am sure that's a lie). I hear that the federal government is not doing enough about the problem in the borders. I hear about the Democrats and their incessant pressing of a new policy instead of following the law.

Yet I don't hear a word about all of the human trafficking going on in the States. I don't hear about the farms and factories that employ the illegal immigrants, which are brought here by these companies and then fired once they are no longer needed. I don't here about a plan to help the Mexican government tackle the issues of drug use in the US because that is the main reason why the cartels are coming over in the first place.

If "Republicans" or "Tea Party" members want to solve the issue of illegal immigration, then they have to take a close look at where they are living! We live in a country that was founded by immigration down to Native Americans that first came through the Bering Strait. That's not the ONLY point I make when justifying a natural right as a human being. Not only that, but this country thrived from immigrants coming all over the world to bring businesses and ideas. We employ so many illegal immigrants in so many fields because Americans are not going to pick up diapers or berries or corn. They are not going to chop off McDonalds' meat at minimum wage. We are so accustomed to living above everyone else in the world that we as a society are unwilling to see ourselves as anything less than better. And we are so addicted to drugs, that we cannot even imagine a world without them. A study was conducted that showed the dismantling of society if drugs were to just disappear. it heart breaking that we blame Mexico for bringing the violence to AZ, yet we completely neglect the fact that the drug business is booming and we are paying for it!

We also need to realize that the border will ONLY be protected if the infrastructure in Mexico is aided. That's where the problem is and that's where we need to invest in order to truly solve the problem. As a Mexican cop, imagine choosing between a less that $500/a month paycheck or $1,000 bribe? There is no way to obtain loyalty without providing something better than the other guy.

The reason why I bring this up is because everyday some official is shot in Mexico or some talented agent has to resign because his life is at risk. We need to, as a continent, realize that illegal immigration has a lot to do with the fact that we blame the wrong people for the problem. The illegal immigrants are products of their environment. If there were decent wages in Mexico and little chance of getting killed, then they would stay home.

We continue to blame, blame, blame, but when are we going to just look at the facts and fix the problem from there? Maybe when I run for office...

Source: http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/07/14/mexico.cabinet/index.html?fbid=aRBp4rbaGOQ

Inspirations...

Recently I've been watching the clouds come by the island and I've been inspired to take pictures of them. Considering that it is beginning of "rainy season" I will be seeing plenty more to come.

These two are the same set of clouds in the same area. I think that's what comes with inspiration. Clouds are so free to move freely through life with their purpose. They constantly change and the beauty of a cloud represents so many things to many people (heaven anyone?).


I also like to take pictures of clouds in sunset because they bring to life the colors of the sky. Sometimes it can be a hint of pinks and blues, or it can be a fiery yellow and orange.

Clouds represent the nomads, the people who chose to leave their home in search of their path. I have found that through leaving, you begin your path and write it yourself, just like clouds do. The moment the water evaporates into the air, clouds begin their journey through the world in search of their path. And destination.

"Devil"- by M. Night Shamylan

Check this trailer out. This movie seems like it has the potential to kill! We'll see if its any good...

Hot for teacher!

As some of you may know, I am currently down in Roatan, Honduras attempting to find myself. I have found some semblance of what my life should be and due is due in part to my teaching experience.

The last time I left off I gave my last director a big "L" for loser, but it was simply because I truly felt the school was completely detrimental to the education of all of its students. This is only an opinion, but I do consider myself knowledgeable based on experience. So when I got to Roatan about one year ago, I chose to start all over in a school where i would feel most at liberty to create something more than just what was in the textbooks. And boy did I get the opportunity of a lifetime!

I met with the director of the school that I wanted to teach at. Two ladies introduce themselves (I will simply give a M and T for their privacy) and we began to talk about our "passion."

As I progressed, I began to give my disgruntled claims to my past experiences. I told them absolutely everything that happened to me in San Pedro Sula, sparing no detail. I wanted them to know that I was not looking for that kind of environment EVER again! I dealt with complete inadequacies of a bilingual school, so I wanted something different.

M discussed the different options with me and even mentioned her ordeals with the Honduran school s one going ystem, so I was pleased to know that I was not the only one going through such a difficult period. As I finished my disgruntled talk, we began to discuss possibilities. With the school, the possibilities seemed limitless. This was a brand new school attempting to find a niche that worked for the students and the teachers.

I began to explain that what I wanted was a working environment in which I was given an outline to perform my tasks and be allowed the opportunity for creativity. I was given the salary expectations, and was told that I would receive a call soon enough.

Well a month came by, and I received my phone call. I had gotten the first grade teaching position, which I must admit I was not too excited for. I went to school and accepted my position, even though I wanted high school, but was satisfied nonetheless. As I came in, I was told by M to read "The First Days of School" by Harry K.Wong; it would be a great way for me to be introduced to the idea of "and effective learning environment." I read the book and based my class on the principles taught by the book.

With this book, I new exactly what was expected of me as a teacher. I needed to be prepared. I needed to be prepared for every single minute of the day in the classroom. I took this extremely to heart because I had the first graders. To me, they are little kids who still want their mommas. But then I also remembered the importance of learning how to read the first chance you get. And I remembered being an ESL student, so I had to take this as my life goal, and that was to teach all of my students the fundamentals of first grade so that they were ready for second grade. This book gave me the key.

My philosophy went past preparation; it meant that I had to be ready to teach the first day of school. But it wasn't the material, such as math or reading, that I had to teach. My first days of school were focus on setting the classroom up fr the students to have an effective learning environment. So, I had to teach rules of the classroom, rewards for good behavior, and consequences for bad behavior. Everything HAD TO BE PREPARED!!!!!

My consequences were pocket cards that told you which color of behavior you were in for the day. Each color represented a consequence for behavior. It was wonderful because the students just love it and loved to get the "white card," which was always good behavior.


Rewards were treats, and surprises, but mostly the satisfaction of contributing to your class with good behavior by receiving a happy face.


With these two concepts, my class was almost ready to begin its course. All I needed were the procedures, or "management" plan for the classroom. It was simply having everything written down about every possible scenario in the classroom. From going to the bathroom to getting your lunch to beginning of the day; everything had to be planned and taught to the students in the first week of school. The reason is that first impressions are important in the classroom. The way in which a teacher chooses to introduce their classroom at the beginning of the year, then that is what the students take from it and will respond on to that setting. So if the teacher is lazy about preparation, had no rules, or consequences, and does not have procedures listed for every minute of the classroom, then it will remain so for the rest of the year.

So I picked to prepare and it turned out to be a gold mine! I will explain through my posts, but let's just say that the classroom was a success. It made me realize how possible this could be for me to be a teacher. I was very good at my job, and I must say I loved doing every moment of it! So there comes a point in time where everyone makes choices in their lives that will have a tremendous impact. I want to be a teacher.

It's funny how once I hated children, but now I am happy to work with them...it's easier to mold them...

Diving...the final frontier in Roatan!

My wonderful future husband has given me a great opportunity to go diving. Now if anyone does not know what I mean by diving, I don't mean to jump into the water head first. I mean taking an oxygen filled tank and going underwater to find the most amazing creatures that we have never seen on land!

I am really nervous about it because I've began reading my textbook, and so far what scares me the most is having my lungs erupt as I come up because I am not breathing! Yeah, those are the kinds of risks you take while diving, but in the end, I have heard many people just say wonderful things about diving. I haven't heard anyone say that their lungs ruptured, but again, one can only thing of the worse and not find the thrill until completed.

As soon as it commences, I will give plenty of information along the way because it's quite exciting! In the meantime, check this video out of divers in Roatan with sharks! Enjoy!

Speaking of Personal Legends...

Lebron James continues to take a beating for making a choice that will definitely take him to the next phase of his life and career. Some people say that he is selfish. Some say that he is too selfless and doesn't want to "work" to win the title. Some people say that he is just taking the "easy road." And the best, he is a despicable coward with little value for integrity.

Lebron James takes care of Lebron James. He KNOWS what he wants because he is the only one that listens everyday to the thoughts going on in his head. He is the one responsible with dealing with all the consequences of making choice for himself. I do not blame him for leaving the Cavaliers. He has made the best choice for himself based on what he tells himself and what he wants out of his life.

Right now, we ALL know his goal: to be a NBA champion. He chose to leave the city he was born in because in seven years he did not win even ONE! The definition of crazy is doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results. Based on that fact, Lebron must have believed that if he stayed in Cleveland, he would not win a championship and was crazy. So he took a look at his options and saw what was the BEST scenario to win the championship, and so he made his choice.

Now I say choice and not decision because decision just seems like there is no choice. Lebron James had plenty of choices, but in the end it was the Heat that took him based on the fact that they have the players to assist Lebron in winning a championship. Now I know a lot out there claim that he will be second to Wade, but let's get something straight: the season has not started and nobody knows that. The only thing we do know is that based on the past, these three are superstars and together there is a great chance that GREATNESS will take place for all of us to see. Now that's why everyone should be excited!

Lebron James made the right choice because its his to make. He has nothing to give to anyone, including Cleveland. He spent seven years attempting to bring glory to a sad place. He spent seven years assisting the economy so that many would have great opportunities. But he is finished, and he is allowed to leave once the contract is OVER. And one person cannot control the economy of one place; that's not James' responsibility. For fuck sakes, he could go and live in Africa for the rest of his life if he wants to. It's his life and he chooses what he wants to do, whether everyone agrees or not.

To finish my entry, Lebron James has shown me how much heart he has for his purpose in life and how willing and open he is to following his dreams. He is even more of an inspiration to me because here is this guy that EVEYONE is looking at making a great choice for himself while listening to the world mock him and insult him, yet he really does not let it affect him and his path to self discovery. His faith and his loyalty is to himself and to his "personal legend." That is very admirable because he is doing something that many people hate, but in the end all that he needs to see is results. I think Lebron will win many championships because Lebron is destined for it, and he has taken another step towards that direction.

Congratulations Lebron James! I found this picture appropriate simply because that's why he does what he does: to follow his heart.

Back from Hiatus...

Hello everyone and welcome again to the Travel Companion...

I truly must say that I have not been inspired to write in my blog. I stopped because I started working at my craft, and I just lost interest in writing about my experiences in Honduras in conglomerate with the books that I read. I still want to write about books, but less about them and more about me. I guess the blog is the new way in which an ordinary person can write their feelings, as oppose to a journal, but now share it with the world. I am not sure I want to share such personal feelings, but then again, I could care less what anyone thinks of me. So lets continue on and see if we can reach a new level of fame...


As recently as yesterday, I finished reading the book "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho. To give a brief summary, this is the story of a boy named Santiago, who lives on the plains of Andulusia in Spain and herds sheep for a living. He begins to have vivid dreams about a treasure awaiting him at the Pyramids of Giza, in Egypt. He soon begins the quest to find this treasure, and in essence, find himself. The book calls it his "Personal Legend" where every living being has one and must attain it in order to reach the true purpose of one's life. Through trials and tribulations, the boy finds the love of his life, and he finds out that the journey is in essence the personal legend finding itself. He also finds his treasure in a place that he least expected to find it, but you need to read the book to find that one out.

This is the first time I have come across a book of spirituality that I have been able to read. I am not a big fan of religion, and have no real concept of spirituality. I will say here and now that my religion is the freedom of the human being, written in the US Constitution, and my spirituality is based on the ideas of possibilities. My mind is open to endless ideas about the world, but I choose to embrace them as theories, and not concrete facts.

To begin my discussion of this book, I must say that I really liked it. Coelho has a very interesting take on the world and his surroundings. Everything is one, and everything in essence can speak in one language, the language of the heart in the soul of the world. Because we can all speak this one true language of "life," we all function in a similar way. Some living thing, like a single-cell organism, has a purpose to live as a single-cell organism. That is its "Personal Legend." The bees that travel many different planes to find pollen for their nest and cultivate their honey is their "Personal Legend." Every SINGLE living organism in this universe is connected in the fact that we have a purpose to fulfill in our lifetime.

As human beings, we are truly complex creatures with millions of thoughts and feelings that allow us clarity or mist through our paths of self-discovery. Because of the fact that we have created our world based on what we need, we have alienated the surrounding creatures that give us the answers so many of us are desperately trying to find. Coelho uses the term "omen" to describe these signs we seek to guide us. An omen is anything perceived or happening that is believed to portend a good or evil event or circumstance in the future; portent. An omen is also a sign of the language of the heart guiding you on your path to your "Personal Legend." I call them a gut feeling, but there is definitely more to it.

When reading the story, I found it very curious that most of the omens came from other living things, like butterflies or hawks, and it made me wonder how many signs I've been missing while on my path to self discovery. What we often forget is that our lives are all connected by the simple fact that we are alive. Everything on this planet has that one thing in common, and it always the most difficult thing to understand between one another. We see ourselves as different, but the energy that is "life" is in all of us, and it that sense, we are capable of finding our way through life by looking at the life surrounding us and know that although we are one individually, WE ARE ONE COLLECTIVELY. That means that searching for your true path means searching with every other living thing that is searching for theirs. We are not alone, and we can use the symbols and living things around us to find out a little about ourselves and about life.

In order to find one's "personal legend," one must know what that personal legend is. How do I find that out? By looking into your dreams and wondering about yourself and the world around you. Why is it so easy for the bees to find their purpose, but yet so many people all over the world live in complete depression without realizing their true potential? I don't know. I was like that for a period of time where I felt completely lost. I did not know who I was nor did I know what I wanted to do. I forgot about myself and it took me 8 years to realize that I was on the right path to my self discovery, and this was a trial and tribulation for it. When we realize what our path is to discover who we are, we realize that every single problem in our lives has been sent there to test the fact that you will become your personal legend. You see, I've always wanted to be a lawyer. Every since I can remember I wanted to be right all of the time. For a while though, I thought of myself as completely lost and useless. I felt I was a joke and an inconvenience, so I chose to leave my surroundings to find something different. I took the journey of a lifetime to Honduras, thinking that I would find a new home in this country. What I ended up doing is testing myself on the complete limits of my capabilities. I also extended my capabilities to endless possibilities. I now FIRMLY believe that I can do anything that I set my mind to because all of the trials that I have gone through brought me back to my personal legend of becoming a lawyer, well more specifically law professor for I have found an AMAZING passion for teaching. So again, I think I was just able to see, and so many people see while others get lost in the trap of suffering and complaint, which could be the reason they never find themselves.

It's pretty fascinating to me to have this mentality because I am truly grateful now to all of those great ones and assholes (won't mention any names) who made life possible and impossible for me at times. Thank you for your genius and idiocy and I hope you find your own personal legend.