for today,,,

The parts of this recent US-Mexico agreement that affect FATCA reporting of Fideicomisos are spelled out in:
ANNEX II, NON-REPORTING MEXICAN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND PRODUCTS
from page 33:
" II. Deemed-Compliant Financial Institutions.
The following categories of institutions are Non-Reporting Mexican Financial Institutions that are treated as deemed-compliant FFIs for purposes of section 1471 of the U.S. Internal Revenue Code:
A. Any exempt organization resident of Mexico entitled to the benefits provided in Article 22 of the Convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the United Mexican States for the Avoidance of Double Taxation and the Prevention of Fiscal Evasion with respect to Taxes on Income and paragraph 17 of its Protocol.
B. Consistent with paragraph 3 of Article 5, a fideicomiso, to the extent that the fiduciaria of the fideicomiso is a Reporting Mexican Financial Institution and reports any information required to be obtained and exchanged pursuant to this Agreement with respect to any Controlling Person of the fideicomiso.
C. A fideicomiso that serves solely as escrow for a debt or purchase obligation of the settlor.
D. A fideicomiso the assets of which consist solely of real property. "
These decisions seem quite clear cut: Fideicomisos for property that serve solely as escrow for a debt or purchase obligation, (as are commonly used by gringos to buy real estate in Mexico's coastal and border zones), ARE EXEMPTED FROM REPORTING by MEXICAN FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS.

THE ANNUAL SWAP MEET. Sunday December 9 , from 8 am-11am...Center of campground.
Bring all your Windsurfing. Kitesurfing,and any other stuff you want to sell. Meet and greet old friends

ACOUSTIC MUSIC CONCERT with " NOSOTROS" at KIJOTE COFFEE in VILLA PARAISO...THURSDAY DECEMBER 13TH AT 7 PM.

LARRY, THOMAS, CHRIS, AND RAVEN WILL PRESENT SOME GREAT NEW SONGS WITH LUSH HARMONIES, EXCITING GUITARS, AND MANDOLIN.

KIJOTE OPENS ITS DOORS AT 6PM FOR BEVERAGES AND SOL'S DELICIOUS DESSERTS.

TICKETS ARE 50 MEXICAN CLAMS AND WILL BE ON SALE AT KIJOTE STARTING WEDNESDAY THE 5TH OF DEC.

BRING A SMALL FOLDING CHAIR AS SPACE IS LIMITED TO 40 PEOPLE SO.........GET YOUR TICKETS EARLY!!!!!!
.

November 30, 2012
Mexico Enacts Important Reforms to the Federal Labor Law

Authors: Oscar De la Vega, Mónica Schiaffino, Eduardo Arrocha, and Liliana Hernandez
Mexico's Federal Official Gazette today published a Decree that reforms and repeals various provisions of its Federal Labor Law (FLL). The reform will become effective on December 1, 2012, with some exceptions which are discussed below. The FLL had not been subjected to any substantial modifications since 1970. Accordingly, the reform has extensive implications for employers with operations in Mexico.

Below we provide a summary of the FLL reforms and their potential impact.

Employment Relationship

The reform adds seasonal employment agreements and initial training agreements as new types of employment contracts, in addition to those already permitted under the statute (i.e., employment contracts for specific work and for a definite or indefinite period).

The initial training employment agreements must establish a time period of three months, as a general rule, and six months, for executive positions. Additionally, a probationary period of 30 days, generally, and 180 days, for executive positions, will apply to employment agreements for an indefinite term or to those exceeding 180 days.

Notably, the reform adds the requirement that, in order to avoid employer liability, the opinion of the Joint Commission for Productivity and Training must be taken into consideration before terminating an "initial training employment agreement" or an employment agreement subject to a probationary period. Requiring the opinion of the Joint Commission for Productivity and Training will likely result in a bureaucratic and potentially conflictive process.

Yesterday Mexican President Felipe Calderon signed the Presidential decree designating Balandra in La Paz, BCS as a "national monument," giving this unique ecological treasure additional protected status. ICF is grateful for all the hard work, leadership and persistence on the part of its grantee, Niparaja, to bring this historic Presidential decree about. This is a real victory for the citizens of La Paz, who collectively fought long and hard over the past 8 years to ensure that Balandra and its mangroves would not be destroyed by future coastal development. "Pasianos" can now re-claim Balandra as their own natural asset in perpetuity. See related article in the Mexican press (in Spanish):http://www.octavodia.mx/articulo/37731/
decretan-area-protegida-a-playa-balandra-en-la-paz

a. Airport Discussion
The new airport terminal is great, but heed these simple rules.
All International flights arrive and depart from the new Terminal. The Upper level is the departing drop off and is easy to drive up to. The arriving level is downstairs and difficult to near impossible to get close to. I would suggest that you have your guests text your phone when they come through customs, exit the doors and go upstairs to the southern end of the curb at the departing level. You can wait off site ( Best Western Hotel lot) and then drive to curb on upper level and pickup with ease

NEWS FLASH - The outright world speed sailing record was smashed this afternoon (November 24) by Paul Larsen in the Vestas Sailrocket 2 with the astonishing time of 65.45 knots. It's the third time in eight days that Larsen has piloted the Vestas Sailrocket to a new outright world record, raising the bar from 55.65 knots to 65.45 knots. It has been a spectacular week for sailing in general, with more than a dozen world speed sailing records broken at two different venues in Namibia. The outright speed sailing records for both 500 meters (initially 59.23 then 59.38 and now 65.45 kts) and one nautical mile (55.32 kts) were set in Walvis Bay by Australian Paul Larsen and the British-designed, inclined-rig hydrofoil Vestas SailRocket 2. Simultaneously, 600 km away, the annual Luderitz Speed Challenge has seen nine world outright speed records for sailboards established in just a week, including surpassing 50 knots (92.6 km/h) and 60 mph (52.14 kts) on a sailboard. The breaking of world records is almost certain to continue over the coming weeks, with Larsen focussed on breaking the 60 knot (111.12 km/h - 69.05 mph) barrier and the now legendary Luderitz Speed Challenge continuing until December 16, with kiteboarders joining the event on December 3.

For all of you inquiring about which terminal United Air lines uses, here's the scoop. United and Continental have merged. If you are leaving or arriving on a flight to either Los Angeles, San Francisco or Denver, you will use terminal 2, the new terminal. As of this writing, if you are departing or arriving from ANY other city, you will use terminal 1. Understand this statement includes connecting flights. It doesn't matter what your final destination or point of origin might be. If you go through either Houston, TX. or Newark, N.J., you will use terminal 1. If you go through Los Angeles, San Francisco or Denver, you will use terminal 2.

> It's located on Brecha California just west of Nueva Reforma. Nueva
> Reforma runs along the side of the VW dealership. One street before the
> end of Nueva Reforma is Brecha California. Turn left and the serpentarium
> will be found about a block down on the left side of the street.
>
> Al
>
>
> On Sun, Nov 18, 2012 at 6:29 AM, S/V Siempre Sabado <
> theyoders@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>> **
>>
>>
>> Anyone know anything about the serpentarium in La Paz? Like, where it is?
>> I was told by someone who's visited that, using Marina de La Paz as a
>> starting point, it's in the same direction as Wal*Mart but that's about all
>> the specifics he could remember. Supposed to be kind of hard to find.
>> Anyone?
>>

Warning Driving Via Tijuana! - I just got a call from my boyfriend. At 2pm today he crossed over into Baja at the new border crossing. The border patrol brought out the drug dogs and completely emptied his truck and searched through everything and he meant Everything! The truck has a cap on it and the back was packed tight. They took it all out. He mentioned that he felt like a marked target because most other vehicles were not loaded down and they have really a lot of people working there so he thought they were just looking for something to do. Keep it in mind if you chose to cross at Tijuana. jarinacorona@

a. We crossed the border on Thursday, early afternoon. Nothing new to add. After our SUV was inspected we drove to an uncovered parking area and were escorted to the offices which are on the right side of the inspection area. First stop is the "bank" where you fill out the FMM. They take US$ or pesos, enter data from the passport and print out two pages. Next go to the office where they keep one page and stamp the FMM. Very efficient - easier and quicker than the old border crossing.

Posted by: "Sheryl H
Date: Fri Nov 9, 2012 5:37 pm ((PST))

A nice young man stopped me this afternoon to tell me about his new restaurant which will celebrate its grand opening on Sunday November 4th. It's the old Salsipuedes on Obregon, just a few doors down from Allende, and it looks like they've ritzed it up a bit ... right down to the white tablecloths.

According to the brochure, it's called The Blue Room and will feature a daily all-you-can-eat buffet of choice cut Sonora Rib Eye & New York Steaks, Sirloin Arracheras, chorizo, papas asadas and salads. Cost of the buffet is 140 pesos per person. He offered me a free tequila shot, so I assume that means they are fully licensed!

Looks like they have a facebook page -- /blueroomlapaz and phone number for reservations is 612-111-1589

++
Monday, Nov. 5 -- We crossed into Mexico this morning at 10:30 am. Bottom line, quick and easy, and issuing FMM visas for tourists and holders of FM3 and FM2s. At the border at the end of Calif. I-5, we made a sharp right turn to the west, then after 0.2 miles a sharp left into some 20 or so entry lanes. I entered a center one and was directed a short distance ahead into one of many covered inspection stations. A young lady asked for our passports and car registration. She checked the passport name against the car registration name, and the registration VIN # against the number on the metal plate on the dash. Then she asked me to unlock the hood so she could inspect underneath. When I heard the rear hatch go up, I got out and found another agent looking in our luggage. When I explained we owned a home near LaPaz and would stay there for 6 months, the inspection ended. (The hood was never lifted and 50 miles later I noticed it bouncing up an down a centimeter or so and stopped to secure it.) Next we were directed ahead to an uncovered parking area. From there it was a short walk back to the immigration offices. We filled in FMMs, paid the tourist fee of $29 at a teller window a few steps down a large hallway, and then took the receipts back to the first office to get our visas stamped PAID. Our traveling partners took the far right lane for "declaraciones" and parked by a blue fence next to the immigration offices. After paying FMM fees they circled back to the entry lanes, went through a brief inspection and joined us in the parking area. That was faster and better for trailers and large RVs. The exit from the parking area is to the right. Get in the right lane and take the ramp up and over the river bed and back north to the highway along the border to the toll road. The toll for cars this year is 30 pesos. Even though offices were being painted and it was obvious many people were new to the job, entry to Mexico was quick and easy and immigration people were friendly and helpful. I'm writing from El Rosario. The road was in excellent condition, gas plentiful, and very little traffic. It was great to be on the Baja highway traveling 50-60 mph instead of fighting 8 lanes of cars going 80 mph on I-5. Tom Spradley

.........................................................................................................................
I talked to Doug M. who was with Tom S. as they were crossing the new El Chaparral border crossing this morning. Below is his report about how the crossing works.

The new El Chaparral border crossing into Tijuana opened Thursday Nov. 1 2012 and is much easier to navigate and to take care of your FMM visa and bank fee than the old crossing. and 200 customs inspectors. To access the new border crossing from Hwy. 5 you will be directed to take a very sharp cubing 5 lane that curves from Hwy. 5 right at the border near the old crossing. This road heads west for 0.2 miles parallel to the border inside of Mexico. Then it makes a left into the new border crossing which you can see in the bottom photo below.

1. As you approach the new crossing look for a sign saying "Declaración" and park. Bring with you 1. $24.50 UDS or pesos. 2. Car registration, 3. Driver License. 4. Passport
2. Enter the building and walk pass the sign for saying Banco". Ahead you will see "Inmigración"
3. There fill out the FMM visa form. Take the completed form to the Banco and pay your $24.50 UDS or pesos.
4. Return to the "Inmigración" to get your form stamped.
5. Return to you car and leave. Doug reports that as of Nov. 4 there were no signs of the old green light red light inspection stop.
6. Leaving the crossing take the "A Playas de Tijuana, Rosarito Y Ensenada turn off over the dry river bed. This will merge with the old route running parallel to the border and on to Hwy 1D toll road to Ensenada.


Mike Godsey

After Belkin revealed a baby monitor that connects to iOS devices just a few weeks ago, it was only a matter of time before they took that concept up a notch with a full security camera. The company recently revealed the new NetCam Wi-Fi Camera, which uses night vision and connects to a smartphone or tablet, so you can monitor your home remotely.

The camera itself is equipped with a wide-angle lens for capturing a much larger view of the room it's placed in and can also record digital audio. It's also equipped with infrared night vision, which allows for a clear view even with little or no light.

Belkin's new security cam was designed to make home security much easier and portable by connecting directly to your Wi-Fi router without the need for a computer. Instead, users just download a free app on any iOS or Android device, which lets them monitor the camera live and even save video on their smartphone or tablet. The NetCam can also be set to send out email alerts and automatically take still shots if it detects any movement in the area.

Compared to some of the other smartphone-enabled security camera's out there (iZON's Remote Room Monitor, for example), Belkin's NetCam does seem to come with a few extra features without spiking up the price. It certainly should be an enticing device for anyone who wants to remotely check up on their house while they're on vacation or just make sure the kids got home from school alright.

Currently, the NetCam WiFi Camera is available through Belkin's website and Amazon.com for US$129.99, with other retailers set to receive it in the coming months as well.

AIRPORT CHATTER
a. Went to the airport to pick people up Air Tran airlines and they, the airline, moved 3 days ago to terminal 2. Surprise! Then for some of us that have not used the airport for a couple of months, you pay with your ticket at an automated machine before going to exit the parking lots. You get the ticket when going in, use it to pay for your time and then use it to put into the last machine before getting the bar to lift and let you free again. It was a mess with people having to back up out of the exit lines and then scratching their heads to figure how they were going to get out. Also, while they are working on the area for arrivals at the Alaska term. they are only letting shuttles, buses and taxis through, you walk down to the area to assist your in-coming family/friends to find you in the parking lot.

b. One correction to the SJD Terminal 2 move. I talked to the United manager the other day and he says that United continues to operate at both terminals. The legacy Continental flights to Houston and Newark are still at Terminal 1. The legacy United flights to Chicago, Denver, LAX and SFO are operating from the new Terminal 2 but check-in is still in the "Alaska" part of terminal 2. It will stay like this until the first quarter of 2013 when the entire operation will be in Terminal 1 following some renovations for the enlarged United. Steve

c. This could change, but I just picked someone up yesterday on AA and they came into Term #1
I had called AA so you may want to call the airline if you are picking someone up or, for that matter, dropping someone off. That would be a LONG walk if you were wrong.

Ontario, Canada has carved out a niche for itself as a hub of green technology. One of the latest clean tech innovations to come out of that province is DARWIND5, a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). Designed by Harvistor, it comes with a promise of more oomph than existing models for small-scale wind power generation. According to the company, recent tests showed that its technology can achieve 35 percent more kilowatt hours per year than current VAWTs for the same sweep area, besides operating at 25 percent lower heights than similarly priced market leaders.

Individually, each rotor has a longer power stroke than previously thought possible because the new airfoil shape flies upside down and right side up during key parts of rotation, like a stunt airplane doing a full loop. During rotation, the lift forces change twice from moving away from the shaft to moving toward the shaft, making for the longer stroke. All of these forces occur on the windward side of the turbine – any turbulence exits on the leeward side, where it doesn't affect the turbine. This avoids individual torque peaks, which are a major cause of wind turbine breakdowns

With nameplate power (capacity under ideal conditions) ranging between 500 watts and 1.5 kilowatts in a 1.2-meter (3.9-ft) working diameter, DARWIND5 operates at a speed that ranges between 4 m (13.2 ft) and 24 m (78.7 ft) per second. It doesn’t need a brake because it self-regulates the top RPM – until now, unregulated top speeds have been a problem with VAWT design. A cantilevered tilt mount design reportedly makes cleaning and repairing an easy task, allowing it to be done anytime without power production loss or delays.

Need Plan B - No FMM At Chaparral Until 11/5/12



Well based on the latest from Baja Bound - that the immigration office at the new El Chaparral north to south crossing will not open until November 5th, I guess it is time to come up with “plan B”, since the old crossing with the immigration office and bank is now closed most of the time, and my wife and I are planning on crossing for our trip to Asuncion this Sunday November 4th.

We have never crossed at Otay Mesa or Tecate – I have seen some posts about getting the FMM in Tecate, and my main question regarding that option is – is the bank in Tecate that is nearest the immigration office going to be open on Sunday to allow us to have our FMM validated (we plan to cross about mid-day Sunday)?

I have seen no prior Baja Nomad posts about getting the FMM at Otay Mesa – is it convenient and straight forward there (do you park in secondary as with the now closed San Ysidro crossing, is the immigration office close by and easy to find, and again is there a bank open on Sunday nearby, etc)? Then the other concern with this option is how easy or difficult is it to get from Otay Mesa through Tijuana to the toll road south, etc?

Thanks in advance for any suggestions and help deciding on our “plan B”- it is much appreciated.

If they are only using El Chaparral, the Immigration officer I spoke to said to go ahead and cross, then park in the El Chaparral facility. For those who are new to El Chaparral, it is set up differently from Puerto Mexico/San Ysidro. As soon as you cross into Mexico, the El Chaparral facility has parking spots that you drive past. She told me you may park there and then walk to the Puerto Mexico/San Ysidro border crossing. (Ask around how to walk back there, I'm not clear on how to find it exactly.)

TIJUANA — Mexican customs inspectors processed passenger vehicles at the El Chaparral port of entry for the first time on Wednesday morning, seven days before its scheduled formal opening on Nov. 1.

The new lanes are located west of the current southbound access lanes at Puerta Mexico. El Chaparral will triple the southbound inspection capacity of the world’s busiest land border crossing.

At 11 a.m., Mexican customs inspectors stood at the end of Interstate 5 and waved southbound cars toward the new facility -- down a sharp curve at the end of the freeway that leads to Mexico’s five-lane access road running west along the U.S. border fence.

Traffic at the new port was light at the time, and there were more inspectors than vehicles. Some of them waited at the secondary inspection station, carrying small hand-held computers in preparation for searching vehicles that received a red-light warning at the initial stop.

On the way out, new signs pointed the way to different parts of Tijuana.

San Vincinte to Camalu road widening to 4 lanes.
Mulege to San Ignacio 7 road washouts, 4 bridges damaged. ALL PASSABLE!
Drive safe, Larry Cooper

d. Bottom line....The road is open to buses, trucks and small cars

We now know the problem spots. My next report will be when the road is passable. See the latest below:

Road south of Puerto Escondido/Ligui washed out but was passable this morning. Friends left Tripui this am for LaPaz in a pickup truck. Very rough just south of Ligui and headlight deep water in Insurgentes but they made it!! They will be returning tomorrow and will update the report then.
Road north of Puerto Escondido to Loreto is out. Large sections of road missing between Juncalito/the Mirador and Clam Shack. OK from Nopolo/Loreto Bay to Loreto. They are working on it. We have heard estimates from 2-5 days to repair. Will report when it is open.

The Quadski weighs 1,300 pounds (590 kg), has a 15-gallon (57-liter) fuel tank, and is powered by a 175-horsepower BMW Motorrad four-cylinder water-cooled engine – that engine also features electronic fuel injection, a double-overhead camshaft and dry-sump lubrication.

Both on land and water, the vehicle has a claimed top speed of 45 mph (72 km/h). Users just drive it into the water, then press a button to pull in the wheels and enable its jet propulsion system. Upon returning to land, it is likewise a simple matter to deploy the wheels and switch back to driving mode.

The Origami Paddler gives paddle boarders a solution that's easier to transport than a rigid board and more stable and quicker on the water than an inflatable. It has two hinged folds that break it down into thirds for transport and storage. Assuming it performs as advertised on the water, it should be a good solution for those that want to get a rigid paddle board to water without having to deal with racks, straps and trailers.

One update since the last time we covered the board is that the retail version has been built to hold a paddle. The paddle breaks down and secures in grooves on top of the kayak, and the whole package folds up so it can be carried to and from the water.

The Origami Paddler is available at origamipaddler.com for US$1,200. Two three-piece paddle models designed to fit inside the board will be added to the website in the near future. The company is also working on getting the board into the hands of distributors in the U.S. and Europe.