American Hostage Situation

Nomads,
It is with horror that I have heard about Americans being held hostage in Baja.

Journal Pendejos / Living and Entertainment section - Aug.12/08
(Reuters/AP)

International terrorist activity seems to have surfaced in several Baja communities.

Apparently, while enjoying a social evening with friends and neighbors, some Nomads were held hostage by several Canadian terrorists masquerading as tourists and neighboring local "snowbird" residents. The nomads, Dr.Tom, Bajafun777, and gnukid all reported experiences of not being allowed to leave their beer alone for a moment for fear that they would be immediately grabbed by these marauding Canadians.

Not only did the Canadians swill down their host's beverages, they didn't even say "thank-you" or, "Could I buy the next round?". Heaped upon this social travesty, it was also reported that these, and probably all other Canadians, never left gratuities for such and related consumption.

While these acts of undeniable terrorism are sweeping all parts of the globe, their arrival in Baja is especially disturbing as visiting and local American residents looking for inexpensive retirement living or "Just a cheap holiday" all reported that they previously had enjoyed a "moocher-free" experience in Baja (mistakenly referred to as "The Baja" by some, but most likely by uneducated itinerant Canadians).

"No offense really their penny pinching is amazing. ", said gnukid. While giving the ungrateful Canadians a backhanded compliment, gnukid (an alias he claims does not mean 'birdbrained child"), demonstrated his distaste for such behaviour. He uncovered their modus operandi, "They appear friendly and kind but their ulterior motives quickly become apparent. He lamented how his retirement savings have been decimated and it has led him to financial ruin, "Each year we all agree that we will not make the mistake of allowing the Canadians to freeload off us again due to heavy cost and financial burden".

Gnukid was not the only Nomad distraught over this turn of events, but others had their traumatic experiences with these conspiring Canadians. Bajafun777 had a different perspective. Apparently he disguises himself as a Canadian so as to not be kidnapped by the notorious "Timeshare Gang", and said, " I say I am Canadian and they don't walk but run away from me...". He went on to share his insight to the Canadians and what might motivate them: "Most Canadians I know do not like to say too much about Mexico as they get their medical cheaper here than Canada....".

Another Nomad, Dr. Tom, was reluctant to be associated with these "big babies (and) giant complainers" as he admitted he became "a canadian citizen on friday (sic)" and because he reported " i married one". Despite trying to distance himself from being seen as a potential threat to his neighbours, Dr. Tom's fear and distaste for Canadians was evident. His explanation was, "yeah, thats (sic) it, im stuck on stupid. ".

When other locals were asked about such theft, home/palapa invasions, some Nomads demonstrated a different perspective. Cypress acknowledged, "Canadians are just like all the rest of us.", perhaps suggesting that other Americans in Baja were ungrateful freeloaders.

SharksBaja's ambivalence was expressed in his dislike for Canadians tipping only 10% and his appreciation for them at least patronizing his restaurant, "(they) came in and we talked a bit over dinner..... They were very generous and the kids had great manners."

All in all, the rampant drug wars in northern Baja continue to grab headlines as do reportings of lost pets, ugly houses, wounded trucks, and border crossing irregularities.

While Homeland Security has claimed that it is unable to do anything directly regarding Canadians' behaviours in Baja, Mexico, it did report that it will continue to hassle them at border crossings and provide the occasional Amber Alert.







Just havin' fun, folks....You can now return to your regular programming.

I've been gone for 3 weeks and just loged on and started out with .....oh thank goodness it is a joke!.....

Great Post .....

Not much else has been fun around here for three weeks

Quote:

Originally posted by surfer jim I've been gone for 3 weeks and just loged on and started out with .....oh thank goodness it is a joke!.....

motoged!That story rates a gold star! Thanks!

Motoged you must have stayed up late and put the old brain in overdrive to come up with this one. Very good, finally something funny to read instead of the usual doom and gloom.

Motoged.........

............... YOU ROCK ........
I'm still laughing !!! Good gag.
However, I think I might boycott Baja because of the current Canadian problem there, thanks for the heads up!!
Tortuga
Never trust anyone north of the 45th parralel !!

[Edited on 8-16-2008 by tortuga]

Nomads,
Anything to bring on a smile or a chuckle...

i don't like the way the guy in the cowboy hat is looking at you...

Quote:

Originally posted by woody in ob i don't like the way the guy in the cowboy hat is looking at you...

Woody,
That's not me
....it's a picture of some other yahoo on the wall in the restaurant area at Bahia de San Francisquito.....probably a Canadian using what Corona is best suited for....

Motoged, I started to get a little ticked not about your story but due to the pure waste of the beer until you clearly identified the "yahoo" that was wasting the BEER, as not being you! Hey, we all have our little quirks, some Canadians more than others, but wouldn't the world be completely dull if all of us were the same. No matter what, even with the discounts you cite for Baja, let's really say we spend more than we do in the States because we use the hotels, bars, cafes, furniture, pottery, medicines, etc and did I say COLD BEER, maybe not, COLD BEER!!! Later----------------------bajafun777

While you read this terrible news, you should be aware that the USA has just ceded all of California above Santa Barbara to Canada. I lived in the border area for 20 years (Oxnard) and always thought the "Northerners" above Santa Barbara were a little strange, so this development does not surprise me. Try to bear up and take this situation gracefully. We don't have enough troops to fight a two front war.

Is this guy pouring perfectly good beer down his pants, over his head?Water will work for cooling purposes.Wasting good beer is a serious offense, north or south of the border. Especially in the heat of the summer.

Yep, some foolish behaviour wasting that beer

....but the good thing here is that folks enjoyed the humor, and that was my sole intent.

So, it's okay for this thread to be hijacked into a beer-wasting forum.... Such indignity shall not be tolerated.

Northern Cal is ours now? Great news....now if they could just shorten the drive...:

My first taste of a type of beer that I prefer (amber ale) was in Westport, just north of Fort Bragg. The beer was Anchor Steam, the year was 1974, and the establishment was a two-story clapboard hotel dating back to when they logged redwood like it was corn....the bar had a beautifully elbow-worn redwood counter top....the name of the place at that time was "Cobweb Palace" and was run by a hippy vet (I knew he was a hippy because he had long hair, and I knew he was a vet because he didn't want to talk about it.....) and they let me, my wife, and one-year old use a room upstairs (one of only several) despite suffering from a low water table (redwood logging changed the water table they said)....

Any way, the point here is the beers at the top of the list to not waste are Dos Equis amber, Buena Noche, Indio, Negro Modello....have I missed a good Mexican amber ale???

PS. I don't really think that guy pouring beer over himself is a Canadian....I just said that in my usual Canadian self-deprecating style....

Here I am at La Hacienda after a few Tecate....





and after coconut shrimp dinner and a few while at La Playa (the fishing village just east of San Jose del Cabo)...





While staying at this gem of a hotel (great place despite the havoc being created by the new marina)...

Motoged, now that is the way to end a thread with pictures of simple pleasures of food, cold beer, and the playa-------ahhhhhhh the playa what it all about. "No Hurry No Worry Just Fun" bottom line isn't this what we all look for the simple slowing down to enjoy life and those we love and care about to share it with. One of these days we will meet up and I will definately owe you several cold beers just for these restful photos which I can now go to bed and dream about. Will be down South in one week in Rosarito for a little R&R with a couple of friends and my love of 34 years who keeps me focused on finding the fun things in life to get rid of the stress!!! Later------ bajafun777

Well, if the Canadians disappear from this forum for a while we know where they'll be:

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSPAT84665620080818

motoged, Appreciate your humor and the pictures. Your eyes are glowing in the dark! Can see that you're not guilty of wasting beer.

BJ,
Thanks for sharing....you may not be in a minority position as hundreds of folks have read my missive and only a half-dozen or so have taken the time to reply....mostly folks with some sense of humour trickling through their veins or so desperate to see their name on the 'net, they bothered to comment.

Too bad the women didn't have traveller's health insurance, too bad consulate personnel appear to not be of much help (have you written to them to share your disdain for their lack of support?), and it is also unfortunate you limit your snark reading to only two authors....I don't pretend to be a literary snob, so I read all sorts of stuff and sort it out as I go.

Being such an astute literary buff, I am surprised that you had to waste so much time reading my lampooning to realize that it was a humorous piece....

I have had personal experiences in Baja that were directly disturbing to me, so I can relate to the downside of situations such as what those women apparently experienced, so my empathy potential is "on".....my gesture at humour was a response to a previous thread where I reacted to an American's attack on Canadians as being cheap whiners....maybe you missed that connection....I believe it might be considered a "truncated oblique reference".

Be aware that in the future, you may also not find some of my posts entertaining or informative....save some time and don't bother reading anything I post....no worries about that at this end.

Have a nice day

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged Yep, some foolish behaviour wasting that beer ....but the good thing here is that folks enjoyed the humor, and that was my sole intent. So, it's okay for this thread to be hijacked into a beer-wasting forum.... Such indignity shall not be tolerated. Northern Cal is ours now? Great news....now if they could just shorten the drive...: My first taste of a type of beer that I prefer (amber ale) was in Westport, just north of Fort Bragg. The beer was Anchor Steam, the year was 1974, and the establishment was a two-story clapboard hotel dating back to when they logged redwood like it was corn....the bar had a beautifully elbow-worn redwood counter top....the name of the place at that time was "Cobweb Palace" and was run by a hippy vet (I knew he was a hippy because he had long hair, and I knew he was a vet because he didn't want to talk about it.....) and they let me, my wife, and one-year old use a room upstairs (one of only several) despite suffering from a low water table (redwood logging changed the water table they said).... Any way, the point here is the beers at the top of the list to not waste are Dos Equis amber, Buena Noche, Indio, Negro Modello....have I missed a good Mexican amber ale??? PS. I don't really think that guy pouring beer over himself is a Canadian....I just said that in my usual Canadian self-deprecating style.... Here I am at La Hacienda after a few Tecate.... and after coconut shrimp dinner and a few while at La Playa (the fishing village just east of San Jose del Cabo)... While staying at this gem of a hotel (great place despite the havoc being created by the new marina)...

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged Quote: Originally posted by bajajazz I'm in an obvious minority position on this one, but in view of the fact that two Americans actually were held hostage in a hospital at Cabo San Lucas recently, were not supported in any way by the Consulate, and were released only when they were forced by hospital administrators, medical doctors and thugs posing as police to max out their credit cards, I don't think this post is particularly funny. It is particularly disturbing that our Consulate ignored the plight of the young women. See the August 4th edition of the Gringo Gazette for the sordid details. Always, in this forum or any other, snark should be clearly labeled as such so those of us who don't appreciate it will not waste time reading it. While I appreciate levity as much as the next guy or gal, I find most snark to be more ham-handed than funny. It is a writing skill best left to those capable of handling it well, writers on the order of Nora Ephron or the late Peter DeVries, for example. BJ, Thanks for sharing....you may not be in a minority position as hundreds of folks have read my missive and only a half-dozen or so have taken the time to reply....mostly folks with some sense of humour trickling through their veins or so desperate to see their name on the 'net, they bothered to comment. Too bad the women didn't have traveller's health insurance, too bad consulate personnel appear to not be of much help (have you written to them to share your disdain for their lack of support?), and it is also unfortunate you limit your snark reading to only two authors....I don't pretend to be a literary snob, so I read all sorts of stuff and sort it out as I go. Being such an astute literary buff, I am surprised that you had to waste so much time reading my lampooning to realize that it was a humorous piece.... I have had personal experiences in Baja that were directly disturbing to me, so I can relate to the downside of situations such as what those women apparently experienced, so my empathy potential is "on".....my gesture at humour was a response to a previous thread where I reacted to an American's attack on Canadians as being cheap whiners....maybe you missed that connection....I believe it might be considered a "truncated oblique reference". Be aware that in the future, you may also not find some of my posts entertaining or informative....save some time and don't bother reading anything I post....no worries about that at this end. Have a nice day

Actually, in the interest of journalistic integrity, i am a canadian, and have made a conscious choice to become one, as opposed to those who became canadians by virtue of their mothers gestation period and gps coordinates.

Just keepin it real dog.....

[Edited on 8-21-2008 by DrTom]

Quote:

Originally posted by DrTom Actually, in the interest of journalistic integrity, i am a canadian, and have made a conscious choice to become one, as opposed to those who became canadians by virtue of their mothers gestation period and gps coordinates. Just keepin it real dog..... [Edited on 8-21-2008 by DrTom]

Doc,
Welcome to the fold....as you know, we are generally a good bunch....aside from those cheap S.o.B.'s

hey thanks! cant beat that free healthcare and no cap gains on the sale of the house!

Doc,
You know the health care isn't really free...you likely pay provincial medical services cost monthly (I do in BC and , as a single person, it is $54.00/month)....I pay for prescriptions, emergency room fee.....and have to buy private extended health to cover other stuff....the surgery and stuff is covered....nicer hospital room costs more....

Yep, a good system if we can continue to afford it as we boomers are starting to need knee replacements. etc...

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged Doc, You know the health care isn't really free...you likely pay provincial medical services cost monthly (I do in BC and , as a single person, it is $54.00/month)....I pay for prescriptions, emergency room fee.....and have to buy private extended health to cover other stuff....the surgery and stuff is covered....nicer hospital room costs more.... Yep, a good system if we can continue to afford it as we boomers are starting to need knee replacements. etc...

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged Quote: Originally posted by woody in ob i don't like the way the guy in the cowboy hat is looking at you... Woody, That's not me ....it's a picture of some other yahoo on the wall in the restaurant area at Bahia de San Francisquito.....probably a Canadian using what Corona is best suited for.... Motoged, I knew I recognized those pictures! Haven't seen them in a while since all the pics were taken down in the restaurant at San Fran. Looks like he was definitely enjoying himself! Wasting beer is not a crime as long as it is in the name of having fun!!!

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged Yep, a good system if we can continue to afford it as we boomers are starting to need knee replacements. etc...

And when you do get diagnosed needing hip/ knee replacement surgery, better be prepared to invest in a good pair of crutches, maybe even a wheelchair, because it may be a while before they get to you.
Better half is a Canuck with lots of family in Western Canada, so we get first hand info.