RGV Life

We are really close to the point of no return. It turns out that I did not get the job with UMOS . That's fine, it's not a big blow to my ego. I wanted to work there because it was easier money than working at Seneca Foods. The downside is that it was less money. Now I'm forced to work where I can make more money. Oh, the agony! She hasn't been hired yet, but with an Associate degree and a BS, she should have no problem.

My recent proposal to Rio Grande Valley bloggers to help me create a roundtable panel to discuss issues and interview people in the RGV for a podcast has had a positive response. There are several of you on-board with the project, or at least expressed interest. I'm glad to have received such enthusiasm for the podcast. If you are an RGV blogger, a joint podcast would have the following benefits: Better chance of getting interviews through collective influence. If you are looking to share your ideas, it is better to have several bloggers writing about it than having only one. The information gathered from the podcast would provide all of us with content for our blogs. We could each ask the guest what interests us and then we could individually write our opinions prior to the release of the podcast. One caveat is that we would need to be nice to our guests to ensure that they return. The podcast would raise the bar ...

Today was a slow day for me. My daughter went to school. My wife is on her summer vacation. Our son still stays home. We watched a movie, made some phone calls to get an idea of our situation before we leave. We went to my in-laws for a barbecue. We enjoyed peace and freedom.   Today, being Memorial Day, the History Channel showed Band of Brothers. I love that series. You can't help getting choked up sometimes when you watch it. For me, it's almost like watching The Passion of the Christ. You know what happened, intellectually; but you don't connect with the brutal reality until you see it. The series is probably not as graphic as the real thing, but it's still a good reminder of the sacrifice our soldiers endure for their country. I, for one, am grateful to our soldiers for what they do. I also understand and admire their mindset in accomplishing their missions no matter what, whatever it may be. It is this level of focus and dedication that I admire in ...

I like to listen to other podcasts out there on the Internet. One of my favorites is TWiT , a podcast about technology hosted by Leo Laporte . If you are the geeky type who used to watch ZDTV, which later became TechTV, or you read tech magazines, you know who Leo Laporte is. He's one of my heroes. In any case, he does something that I've been thinking about doing for a while for the podcasts. TWiT has a panel of experts go over some of the latest developments in IT. Regular guests include John C. Dvorak , Patrick Norton , Chris DiBona , and Amber MacArthur . What makes this show so cool is that the panel is not usually in the same room or city. Many of the participants of the show are in on an internet teleconference. The call is recorded, edited, and posted on the web. This is a much better format for a podcast than having one person, me, talking to a computer screen.   This is along the same idea that I have for a SpinRGV podcast, to have a weekly roundtable ...

I am interviewing Alma over the phone prior to our trip to Wisconsin. Why she decided to go. Wouldn't she burned out? Job prospects Taking our vehicle Childcare Other concerns about the trip Duration:11 minutes, 16 seconds Date Last Updated:Sun 28 May 2006 08:34:26 PM CDT File Size:1.35 MB MP3 File

may 27, 2006 go over blog entries expectations in the coming months Duration:28 minutes, 16 seconds Date Last Updated:Sun 28 May 2006 12:18:28 AM CDT File Size:6.78 MB MP3 File

In the last week, I have received emails and calls from readers to wish me luck on my trip. I want to take moment to thank you. I'll be back in the RGV, for sure. I just need to go make some money so that I can get my life back on track. Believe it or not, I had my act together once upon a time. I had a steady job, good family time, went to lodge at every chance, and even had a budding computer business. I'm not sure where I went wrong. Everything just started to fall apart and I kept sinking deeper and deeper into problems. The problem is financial; which means that the solution is too. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel; but it's a long tunnel. I appreciate your concern and the support you have offered. As I've mentioned in other posts, I had no clue so many people read this blog. I must say that I am surprised and honored.   I have a feeling that migrating this summer will have more benefits than the financial ones I seek. I know that there i...

We decided, earlier this week, to postpone our trip to Wisconsin by a week. We had not considered that Memorial Day is this weekend. We prefer low traffic when traveling. Other factors influence the decision as well. For one, my mother still has not received her unemployment check, which will pay her gas. My wife and I are waiting to interview, over the phone, for a couple jobs. She's a shoe-in; I have a pretty good chance. If that job doesn't pan out, I have a backup job. My wife decided, on the spur of the moment, to migrate with me. She canceled her classes and financial aid for the summer. We'll take advantage of the next few days to make sure our van is ready for the trip. Of course, our daughter also has a couple days to go before school ends. We have our work cut out for this week.   There are some ramifications of my wife's decision to go up north with me. By going, our family will become migrant. There are programs set up to help migrants for whi...

I had a pow-wow tonight with another family that is traveling to Wisconsin. Generally, when migrants travel, we like to travel with people we know or at least with another group of people. The reasoning is that we can count on each other in case something goes wrong. If you travel on your own, you're on your own if something happens to your vehicle. Let's face it, most migrants don't have the latest model of any brand of car. So, there is safety in numbers, even if it's two different families. In any case, they have shared with my family the opportunity to work together. I'll make some phone calls on Friday morning to get more details. The reason why this is significant is that we may be able to have our moving expenses paid. If the lead pans out, we'll get $900 per person. This gave my wife reason to reconsider staying here in the RGV to take classes. She is considering the possibility of going with me to Wisconsin to work. This means that she would get $900 an...

Sometimes I enjoy looking through posts to see what kinds of Google ads come out based on the context of the post. Sometimes, you come across some interesting sites. Well, I found this website through the ads and I though that the product is pretty cool. It's an automatic flood control gate that requires no people and no power. Most of the time, people won't even know it's there. The company that makes it is Houston. The system is called Floodbreak. Simply visit http://www.floodbreak.com to see pictures and a video of the system in action. Given the concern with flooding from possible hurricanes, maybe somebody here in the RGV may find such a system useful.

It occurred to me a while ago while posting the most recent press release by Congressman Hinojosa, that we have two water problems in the Rio Grande Valley. On the one hand, we don't have enough water. Our main source of water is the Rio Grande, which rises and falls depending on the amount of rainfall up at its tributaries and whether Mexican water officials choose to release water to it. For years we've had to conserve water. Our only other sources of drinking water are Circle K and HEB. Some people are able to drill for water. It's not the best solution for everybody, we have lots of areas with brackish water. You can get by with it for laundry and other things, but the high salt content defeats the emulsifying properties of soap. This makes laundry difficult. Your plants may not tolerate high salt content either.   With the hurricane disasters of last year, it came back to our memories that we are in a flood plain. There is a great deal of interest in for...

I have come to a sad decision tonight. I am removing Edinburg News from the front page of SpinRGV and from any links on my sites. I had hoped that the blog would improve with the passing of the election and actually work to elevate the Rio Grande Valley in general and Edinburg politics in particular. It appears that the author(s) have chosen to continue on a path of character assassination, deception, and innuendo. I've had requests to remove the site, but have been reluctant in the interest of fairness. Finally, the blog has reached the point where they are calling the pockets where they are going to sink their target. I'm afraid I cannot be party to helping the blog get attention any longer. A website is successful by two standards, the amount of readers it gets and the number of sites that link to it. RGV Life and SpinRGV, from this point on, will no longer link to the site and I will no longer read any more posts. My previous post is the last of the sort. I still have most ...

I was shocked to read the following post at Edinburg News : What do we know about the Director of Solid Waste? Here is my email address. It's newsbusinessmanage@yahoo.com . This is for anyone that wants to vent out any frustration within city hall. If you think there has been any wrongdoing in this or any other department. If you feel like you have done everything in your power to address the situation to other figure heads. And still nothing has been done about it. Here at Edinburg News we will not try to identify anyone who leaves an email. You can keep it anonymous. Or if you like you can put a name. Doesn't really matter to me. I understand there is a lot of people upset in this department. I'd like to hear from you and to see what you all have to say in a form of an email. Do you believe the gall of this writer to openly solicit any dirt on a public employee? This writer has become emboldened by the triumph of his or her candidate, Joe Ochoa, in winning back the Mayor...

Local officials have released their sentiments on the passing of U.S. Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr who passed away yesterday in Houston, Texas at age 85. Bentsen was a native of Mission, Texas who went on to a distinguished career in local, state, and federal government. The former Senator suffered from ill health before his departure to eternal sleep.   Here are links to statements by Congressman Ruben Hinojosa and State Senator Eddie Lucio, Jr.   Hinojosa Statement on the Death of Senator Lloyd M. Bentsen, Jr.   Senator Lucio Comments on the Passing of former U.S. Senator Lloyd Bentsen, Jr.

We have been in touch with some of our friends and family up in Wisconsin. More and more, it appears that we will be going there. We are told that there are plants in Ripon and Markesan that have housing for their workers. The reason why this is important for this trip is so that we can save the money we would otherwise spend on rent. This makes achieving our financial goals that much faster and certain. It turns out that Ripon is the birthplace of the Republican Party. Wow! Hopefully we'll have a chance to work there.   There may be a setback on our departure date. There is a possibility that we may have to delay it for another week. If this is so, then I have time to make some money at a couple odd jobs. I have one wireless computer set-up to do today for a client and maybe some speaker rewiring. We'll see how it works out.

I have added a new newsfeed to the front page of SpinRGV. The site is Onward Into the Fog, based out of Edinburg. The site is maintained by Graham and Anne Toal. You can visit the site directly at http://www.gtoal.com to see more than just the headlines. I had removed other blogs recently that did not post frequently. The Toals have posts going back to 2004, so it's safe to say that fresh content can be expected.

I'm no beer connoisseur; in fact, if I hadn't taken French for four years I wouldn't even know how to spell it. There are two new beers on the market that are sure to make an impact in the RGV. Let's not pretend we haven't seen the construction workers stop by the convenience stores in the morning to buy their breakfast beers. The new beers are the 24 oz. Hurricane High Gravity and the 211 Steel Reserve High Gravity beers. These weigh in at a whopping 8.1% alcohol content. Being the ever diligent worker for the public interest, I decided to try them both out. My analysis? They kick ass. I expect that many of our less responsible residents who partake in the occasional beer per hour will find them irresistible. For $1.18, you get twice the kick of regular beer. When it comes to alcoholism, efficiency is key. So, while our workforce adjusts to the strength of the new beers, I expect that there my be more alcohol-related incidents on our roads. I suggest driving with...

I had a computer job to do in McAllen this afternoon, so I made a trip out to the north side today. On the way, I stopped by the bank to pick up my passport and close out my safety deposit box. With all the recent brouhaha on immigration, I figure I need as much proof of citizenship as possible. You can't get any better proof than your passport. So, I did the job and on the way back, I stopped to visit my friend Jason at China Wok .   Things were busy for a while when I got there. I helped out and took an order for a customer, answered the phone, and folded napkins. After a while things slowed down and we got a chance to talk. In case you've never been there, you need to stop by. China Wok is one of the few Chinese restaurants in the RGV that prepares Chinese food for you the way you want it. They can add garlic, make it spicy, make it not spicy, just meat, just vegetables, ... whatever. If you're a buffet eater, then CW is not for you. They don't do buff...

A friend of mine sent me a link to this video. If you need a good laugh, watch it.

Prior to flight, most pilots will file a flight plan. I'm not so detailed about our trip. We've traveled the roads to the north often enough that we have an idea how to get where we are going. The only time we need maps is when we enter cities or need to watch out for upcoming highway changes. We will probably make a stop by the Hope Migrant Mission Center in Arkansas. This is a place where migrants stop halfway for some rest and showers. They have small duplex trailers with bunk beds where you can sleep and large public showers for men and women. Across the street, there is a mission where parents take their kids for activities like coloring books, reading books, and worksheets. There used to be a place in Cairo, Illinois that provided fuel vouchers and had a few small trailers for migrants. I don't know if they are still there. Just to give you a general idea, we will be going to the area around Kalamazoo, Michigan . I have a cousin who lives out there. We ...

Addendum to podcast #18. I decided to go up north for work after all. Have ideas for future podcasts. MP3 File

I went to Workforce Solutions , McAllen's replacement for the old Texas Workforce Commission office, today. I went just to see what has changed and to explore any possibilities for a last minute attempt at finding "the perfect job", which means one that pays more than minumum wage. The last time I was there was 6 years ago when they were located out by the Plaza Mall .   It started with me signing in as a first-time visitor. I waited in the common area by the doors. They have computers along the cubicles and an island with computers, all with a broadband connection to make web surfing the job sites faster. They have a printed jobs paper that basically relists all the job classifieds in The Monitor . I'd already checked the Sunday paper, so there was nothing new there.   After a while, I got called to talk to one of the case workers. He pulled up my information on his computer, asked me questions about my work history, and made additions and corrections to my ...

My wife came back from doing laundry at her mother's, today. Our apartments have a coin-operated laundry, so we do our best not to use it. This was a few hours ago. She came back telling me that I should go up North. She believes that I won't be happy staying here in the RGV. Alma tells me that I'm settling for what I can get, again, like I have in the past. She doesn't want to see me anxious and restless as I have been as the end of the job I was offered draws near. This is a major development as she has been opposed to my leaving up until now.   Geez, what timing. I start work tomorrow, if I stay. If I go, I need to go in and tell them that I won't be accepting the job. This makes it really short notice, and I hate to do that. Now I'm up trying to decide whether to migrate or stay in the RGV. There's several factors. One of them is leaving my family. My wife, whose opinion matters to me, has effectively given me her blessing. There are other...

New Job Don't have to migrate Slow news-politics post elections immigration http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/21/weekinreview/21bernstein.html blog comments: http://rgvlife.blogspot.com/2006/05/something-unusual.html http://rgvlife.blogspot.com/2006/05/clarification-on-tuberculosis-arrests.html http://rgvlife.blogspot.com/2006/05/cutting-it-close.html http://rgvlife.blogspot.com/2006/04/employee-or-independent-contractor.html MP3 File

This is hard to quantify. It depends on the circumstances. A single migrant won't make so much money if he works in the fields only. He'll make some money, don't get me wrong, but not as much as a family would earn by working together. A single migrant is better off working in factories of some sort. Some factories will pay for housing and transportation to and from work, leaving groceries as the migrant's only expense. Obviously, working alone, a migrant would earn money at an hourly rate. Realistically, with overtime, a migrant can earn around $2000 a month or more, depending on experience. This year, for example, Del Monte is paying between $6 to $9 an hour. Overtime is certain during peak production. Effectively, with the top pay rate, a migrant can gross about $3000/month.   In the fields, it gets complicated. In some jobs, like onions, you get paid 50 cents a sack. A sack consists of two buckets (the taller ones, not the 5 gallon) of onions. It'...

For regular readers of RGV Life, you know that I recently read the Da Vinci Code to prepare to watch the movie. The movie, by the way, sounds like it's bombing. I agree with Denise that the story was predictable and the writing was a little weak. I read it partly to satisfy my curiosity about all the fuss. The book is fiction, and it does take some elements of truth and twists them to make an alright story. I think what freaked a lot of people out is that it made them, despite it being fiction, question their faith a little. For me, I decided to read about the Gnostic Gospels . As you may recall, the Mrs. is a History major; I was able to pick up a book by Elaine Pagels. It's interesting to read about the gnostics. They had a different understanding of the nature of God. I haven't finished the book yet, but it is bringing back memories of the impression I got when I read the bible. Yes, I started at page one and kept going. After graduation from High School, I went to Euro...

Eddie Olivarez, CEO of the Hidalgo County Health Department , was on KURV with Davis Rankin this morning. He made some clarifications about the arrests of two men with tuberculosis. The Health Department does everything within their power to provide treatment for tuberculosis for anybody afflicted with the disease. The two arrested men had failed to cooperate with the health care providers for their own care. The Health Department will only go to that extreme "whenever we have exhausted all opportunities and have made all efforts" to help the individual, according to Olivarez. The county does not want to discourage anybody with tuberculosis from seeking assistance as this puts the whole community at risk. The Rio Grande Valley is second to Houston in the number of TB cases in an MSA. However, as a percentage of population, TB is higher in the RGV. A lot of the reason for this is due to the high flow of immigrants through this region. Anybody being treated curre...

Local election results and thoughts. Illegal immigration in the RGV and border enforcement. Personal notes and projects. Duration:20 minutes, 32 seconds Date Last Updated:Wed 17 May 2006 04:33:55 PM CDT File Size:4.93 MB MP3 File

My goal to turn SpinRGV into a central clearinghouse of political and local government information is beginning to grow legs. When you start doing something that is totally alien to your everyday life, you don't know how to get what you need. When I started out on the project, I had not the slightest idea how to ask for press releases. Some press secretaries blew me off because I was obviously not aware of what I needed. I figured out how to ask to be added to media lists and have had good response thus far. Of course, the more sources of news I add, the more legitimacy my project gains. This, in turn, makes it easier to convince others to participate.   This being a low budget project, meaning no budget, has also contributed to the difficulty of getting things going. I have to be mindful of where I spend my mobile minutes as we have foregone the need for a home phone. I had a break, recently, in that I have improved internet speed at home. This allows me to use the ...

Yesterday, I got a call with a job offer in McAllen. I've called back to accept the offer and am trying to get more details about it. I will be teaching robotics. I start orientation on Monday morning. This is great news and a great relief. I have great ideas for the job that I can't wait to put to work. I love jobs where the rules are not yet written. Usually, when a job is defined, you get stuck doing one little thing over and over. You get thumped on the head if you try to do more. I don't get that impression with this position. I'll be breaking ground in a brand new direction. Already, I have ideas for seeking funding and resources to help make the class a success. I'll tell you more about it once I sign the dotted line.   This was a close call. I had pretty much already decided to pack up and head out of town next week for greener pastures. I had come to accept that I would be missing some important moments in the lives of my children. In fact, t...

As reported this morning , the Alton HeadStart was damaged after severe thunderstorms last night. The sheet metal on the older part of the building was sheered off due to high winds. After initial inspections, it appears that three of the classrooms received most of the damage from the storm. Damage to other parts of the building are still unknown. Rain water formed bulges in the sheetrock. Maintenance crews had to poke holes in the ceiling paint to allow the water to trickle down. Inside the classrooms, most of the contents got wet. Crews took out the rugs and furniture from the rooms after insurance adjusters inspected the damage. As in most cases where there is moisture introduced into the interior of a building, mold will be something to prevent while making repairs.In the meantime, with the possibility of more rain tonight, repair crews have covered the damage with a plastic sheet and will resume repairs in the morning. There is no verification yet, but it is initiall...

Over a year ago, I had the opportunity to travel to Dallas for the trade show. While there, I got a chance to talk to the cab driver who would be on call while we were in town. His name was Ismael; he was from Eritrea, a little African country next door to Ethiopia. He looked like maybe he was in his early 40s. Ismael was working as a cab driver and he lived in his vehicle. During his off-time, he slept in his car. I didn't ask how he managed his hygiene needs. Ismael was a married man, but his family was back in Africa. Most of what he earned he sent home to his wife and, I think, six children. Ismael came to this country legally so that he could provide a better life for his family. He planned on going back home within a couple of years. One thing that I've noticed from people like Ismael and other immigrants who come to the U.S. as resident aliens is that they don't feel victimized. They don't feel like second class citizens. They are doing what they cam...

A heavy thunderstorm rolled through the Rio Grande Valley last night. The storm brought with it strong winds and lightning. Although the storm had rain, it was not a major factor. In Mission, the main fury occurred between midnight and 2 AM. Residents in my neighborhood could be seen outside tying down loose objects and looking attentively for any signs of funnel clouds. Evidence of the fury of the storm was apparent this morning with damage throughout the RGV. At my apartment complex, a section of a cedar fence rested right behind our vehicle this morning blocking the parking lot. A few feet East and it would have hit the car.   In Alton, the Hidalgo County Headstart canceled classes after the storm ripped the north side of the roof off of the building. Sections of the steel roof were strewn in front of the school on the street and in the parking lot adjacent to the Recreation Center. One section of the roof was right at the door of the building. Inside, the classe...

I have not been attentive to RGV politics or other goings on this week. I'm having some issues, as some people would say. Also, recently, my mother and I are beginning to see no other option than to migrate up north for the summer. Our job prospects are simply not interested. I had a shot at a good county job, but I didn't know I had an interview and blew my chance by not calling HR to ask. Everybody wants to pay minimum wage and hire you part-time. Many jobs that are full-time want to get away with minimum wage. The jobs that pay above minimum wage and hire full-time have a long list of applicants from which to choose. I can't seem to get past the interview. My options are limited in many cases because "a bachelor's degree is preferred". Those for which I do qualify without a degree don't want me because I'm so close to graduating. Those for which I don't qualify, well, I don't qualify.I've bought my last Sunday paper to check ...