NOTAMs are Notices To Airmen. They are issued by the Federal Aviation Administration to warn pilots planning a flight of any time sensitive information they need to know. It is a legal requirement that all pilots check the NOTAMs before …

One cannot look at any brochure or webpage touting the benefits of living in Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, Mexico without seeing the statement that 14,000 expatriates call it home. Sometimes as many as 20,000 expatriates are mentioned. This figure …

A few months ago, Fulano wrote about "Crimes against Americans in Baja" Well, the crime wave continues unabated. Here are some more current incidents in Baja, and I decided to throw in some especially worrisome attacks against Americans and Canadians …

The Spanish alphabet has more letters than the English alphabet. Just how many more letters is subject to much debate. Not all authorities agree on which letters make up the alphabet. Some don't include w (sometimes referred to as doble …

Every year between the end of November and the end of December, Jewish people around the world celebrate the holiday of Chanukah, the Festival of Lights. Chanukah begins on the 25th day of the Hebrew month of Kislev, but the …

The Centro de Investigación para el Desarrollo A.C. (The Center for Research for Development, or CIDAC) is is a not-for-profit, Mexican think tank that undertakes research and proposes viable policy options for Mexico´s economic and democratic development. The organization seeks …

Fulano’s father played the saxophone in bands when he was in his 20′s. That was during the Great Depression and Prohibition, when one of the only good-paying and regular jobs was work in speakeasy’s. Fulano’s father worked in several such …

Colonial Mexico had a legal racial caste system that was very complex and detailed. It was a legal caste system, imposed by the Spanish government, and ones caste determined how high in society one could go. The caste system defined …

The news flowing northward out of Baja California of late paints a worrisome portrait. More and more Americans are being attacked, robbed and murdered. Here are some news items from just the past two months. Many of these items were …

November 4, 2011 will mark the 32nd anniversary of the Iran hostage crisis. The Iran hostage crisis started when 52 Americans were taken hostage for 444 days, from November 4, 1979 to January 20, 1981, after a group of Islamist …

Ladino, also known as Judeo-Spanish, is the spoken and written Hispanic language of Jews of Spanish origin. Ladino did not become a specifically Jewish language until after the expulsion from Spain in 1492 - it was merely the language of …

Did you ever wonder what the lyrics to "La Bamba" really say? Read on. First, here's a refresher of the song by Ritchie Valens: La Bamba Para bailar la bamba Para bailar la bamba se necesita una poca de gracia …

September 28, 2011 starts the New Year for Jews, Rosh Hashanah. "Rosh Hashanah" means "head of the year." It is year 5772 in the Hebrew calendar. Did you ever wonder how the Jews figured out it was going to be …

Fulano’s note: Fulano translated this from the original story in Spanish. The author is anonymous, but leaves this comment: “This story was shared by the boy’s family caught in this endless war. The names and places were changed to protect …

From the mid-1970's through the mid-1990's, Fulano was with an international firm of public accountants based out of Los Angeles. Over the years, there were many, many staff accountants who worked for the firm, and directly for Fulano. One of …

Halloween is still two months away, but the stores are already stocking racks of candy. It is time to get into the Halloween spirit. La Bruja (the witch) is a folk song from the Mexican state of Veracruz. Salma Hayak …

US State Department Warning: U.S. law enforcement officials believe that as many as 25 percent of the medications available in Mexico are counterfeit and substandard. Such counterfeit medications may be difficult to distinguish from the real medications and could pose …

One of the big talking points that pro-immigration groups make is that our food prices would be much higher if the US did not tolerate the flow of illegal immigrants into the country to work in agriculture. They argue that …

The Spanish word "madre" means mother. However, the word is used in short phrases in Spanish with more different meanings than I can count. Here are some examples: Hasta la madre (1): completely full. "Vámonos este restaurante está hasta la …

Cognitive dissonance For over 60 years, social psychologists have been trying to figure out the distinctly human ability to rationalize irrational behavior. Why would a human being say it is okay to die unexpectedly, as long as the victim lived …