Horse owners life in Belize

Horse racing in rural Belize
Horses of Crooked Tree
Annual Belmopan rodeo in Belize


THE HORSE OWNERS LIFE IN BELIZE

Foreigners are often curious about life in Belize. Here in Western Belize we have a whole segment of Mennonites who refuse to use modern things and they use horses as their main transportation system and you can see them driving their wagons miles and miles for hours, back and forth along the roads to their farms, after being to the local villages and towns selling their produce, or for doing their shopping.
Some people even use horses as transportation to live within their means, as they do work like day labor and grow their own food on the lower end of the cash flow scale. Certainly children love horses and horses love children and it is not unusual in our suburb of Hillview of Santa Elena Town of the Western Twin District towns to see school age children riding horses in play after school around the community.
There is probably no finer sight than to see the bond of young children with their equally young horses, who are their best friends. Riding around here is primarily bareback. Riders use halters for steering with reins, but that is usually the limit for horse riding paraphernalia. I rarely drive to the coast. Perhaps, once a year or two, to the port town, en-route to my home island of Caye Caulker. I was very surprised about a year ago, the last time I went down the Western highway ( one of two highways in Belize ) to pass a gymkhana, with regular American style obstacles and training corals for horses on the side of the highway. We have a lot of expatriates from foreign countries, retired here, or doing business and living here. So I suppose there is a growing demand for the more upscale type horse facility.
The whole thing came to mind, because of the trouble you can have with animals in this world, co-existing with human populations. This weekends newspaper, ( one of them ) ( Belize has no daily newspapers ) had a story about a fuss in a coastal village called Gales Point, located on a peninsular in Gales Point Lagoon, famous for it’s fishing and Manatee population, which is a mecca for Tourism. The village has at least one tourist place and maybe two? Seems like a tourist went up to pet a horse, eating grass, hobbled and on a staked rope somewhere in a village open yard. The horse didn’t want to be bothered ( maybe it was too hot? ) and turned around like some horses and dogs do and gently nipped the tourist on the shoulder. Both horses and dogs use their mouth and teeth to communicate with. They don’t have hands and cannot speak. No blood was drawn or anything. It is just a polite gesture to say, you are a stranger and don’t annoy me. In the newspaper article, the expatriate tourist owner of the facility in the village, catering to manatee watching and sports fishermen, is complaining officially that the horse whose home is with a family in the village should be removed from the village. That is nonsense of course, the horse is the families transportation to their plantation, where they grow the food they eat and sell along the coast to the market in Belize City. Besides the horse is a member of a family, like a brother or nephew. The horse is not a pet, it is family. Which just goes to show the problems you can have with different cultures of humans trying to live together with different historical backgrounds.

BELTRAIDE OF BELIZE STARTS EXPORT MARKETING INFORMATION PROGRAM for Belize

Harrison Cooper of Belize, BELTRAIDE GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT, visits trade shows in both New York and Taiwan seeking importers for cottage industry small gourmet niche markets to assist Belize exporting growth.


BELTRAIDE EXPORTING MARKETING NEWS FROM BELIZE

We had read recently of a shakeup in Beltraide, a government department of some kind, of senior management department personnel. In the restructuring, we now read that one, Harrison Cooper of Beltraide, titled the investment and promotion officer in this new BELTRAIDE restructuring, recently attended Trade Expositions in New York and Taiwan on behalf of Belizean exporters. The purpose of the attendance abroad was expressed as finding markets for our Belize products that are either currently made in Belize to be exported, or could be made in Belize to be exported. We have 5000 new graduates from higher education seeking entrepreneurial ideas for going into business in Belize and a wide range of export potentialities, if a market and buyer can be found.
This sounds like an exciting move in the right direction for the UDP government.. We were not too clear what was actually done on these two trips, from the The Reporter newspaper article, but of certain, we are interested in whatever was found out. What are the results? Where do local investments and entrepreneurs put their efforts?
In particular, we intend to follow up with an e-mail to Beltraide located in Belmopan our capital city, requesting a list of IMPORTERS from both New York and Taiwan; that this Harrison Cooper has compiled after his trips, with names, addresses, Belize made products they are interested in and so forth. We not only want the general long list, but the short list applicable to the country of Belize in this present time. There must be thousands of importers both in New York and Taiwan, but cutting through the overwhelming number of wannabees is the necessity of winnowing out the time consuming and wasted practice of writing and emailing people who are simply not really interested. We view this as the job of Harrison Cooper, as he was the man, our tax dollars sent to these places to find out.
We are awaiting with interest to read of the long list and short list of importers for Belizean products, from New York and Taiwan. We shall let our readers know in due course what we find out, from this government paid marketing trip.
There are as an aside; been reports of an Agriculture Department paid trip into Central America looking for markets for Belizean products also. So far, we have no reference name, email, telephones, or reports on the success or failures of this trip, hinted at in the newspaper articles. We would like to know the results of this also. If you don’t disseminate the information , what good is it? These are good moves, but what did you government people find out? Tell us please?

The Americas are collapsing particularly CARICOM and the Caribbean island governments.

Caribbean map



THE AMERICAS ARE COLLAPSING POLITICALLY, AND THE USA IS HELPLESS!

The closest turbulent historical parallel to what is happening in the American Continent, is the period in Europe and particularly Germany, between the two world wars.
The CARICOM countries are collapsing financially and politically. The governments of Caricom countries can no longer support themselves from revenues. Admittedly the real problem is one of cost, population and organization. A new paradigm of governing, using de-centralization is probably one answer to the local problems within Belize? We also need a lot of volunteer work in offering local government public services. The example I’m thinking of is; Massachusetts and Vermont in New England of the USA.
Into this turmoil has moved Emperor Chavez of Venezuela, backed by his productive oil wealth, with his ALBA TRADE BLOCK. Since there is no observable trade, for the ALBA GROUP, the European parallel between the World Wars with the Stalinist International Front and Communist party, country penetrations is similar; to the point it is almost copy cat politics of that period of European turmoil. The ALBA TRADE GROUP seems nothing more than an Empire building political action methodology, to bring countries of the Americas into the sphere of control of Emperor Chavez expansionist plans of Empire building for International politics. ALBA therefore despite the rhetoric is a FRONT ORGANIZATION an empty shell, despite the rhetoric coming out of Venezuela. We must deal with facts, not propaganda bombast.
Ideologically the difference between G7 countries and Emperor Chavez is quite different. The clearest example we have in the Caribbean is the prison island of Cuban slavery, where the individual owns nothing, is allowed no control of their individual lives, cannot accumulate wealth , or travel freely as tourists, and are possessions of a TYRANT and political system of slavery.
The methodology can be seen this past week in Honduras, where protesters for Honduras freedoms are peacefully demonstrating using signs, declaring for a country for Hondurans and not for Venezuela and ALBA, while competing counter demonstrations formented by agitators from Cuba, Nicaragua and Venezuela paymasters; causing counter demonstrations and using violence and breaking up stores and automobiles in the streets. As a tactic of the old discredited Communist International these divisive actions still work 70 years later on new generations, who do not study this part of European and Russian history. This is an old idealogical war being repeated.
Even so, with the failure of the USA and in particular the example of the huge state of CALIFORNIA in bankruptcy, unable to support their own government and bureaucratic services, the people in Central America and CARICOM island countries can only realize that there must be a paradigm shift in the way we govern our countries. Self suffiency is possible for all Central American countries. How to do it is the debate and function of government policy. In Caricom this is not so.
Confusing the issue is the struggle among the G 20 and the G7 group to control the world economy. The BILDEBERG GROUP annual meetings, the alternative web sites are saying; are forecasting a die off in world population by planned disease and starvation, reducing the human population by about 2 billion people. The wilder web sites say the Flu Pandemic is a laboratory designed genetic virus to do this. That the economic contraction and financial difficulties will be used to starve two billion people worldwide. Out of this will come the new World Order with the United Nations printing an international currency.
In the third world of Central America and the Caribbean, we do not know what to believe anymore, other than the USA and the Europeans do not care about third world countries, other than as markets for their value added products and our being a source of basic commodities and want to keep it that way. The rise of China and India and S.E. Asia aspirations for a higher standard of living is changing the world landscape. The demand for oil is rising and the number of countries building economies based on oil products is rising also.
In the Caribbean, and CARICOM; islands like Antigua and Barbados, are overcrowded and they are deporting fellow CARICOM county illegals they say on Caribbean Newsline. There is to be an urgent meeting shortly to deal with CARICOM about free labor and movement and decide this issue once and for all. So they say, but CARICOM is essentially falling apart as a one country idea. Behind the urgency is the need to pay for individual local sovereign governments, with educated salaried types and politicians holding their hands out and looking for get rich quick opportunities. They do not want a change in the status quo, securing them upper middle class incomes in their societies. Unfortunately, like a Hurricane, or Tsunami, the world is changing and the CARIBBEAN countries as non-productive island states, have nothing else to offer and the brain drain and migration of their growing excess populations must continue.
In Belize, we are building a new nation and currently blessed with land in excess of our population, making us relatively wealthy as a country. Our problem is primarily the cost and organization of government. Our 5000 new higher educated graduates this year in Belize are a source of wealth for our pioneering growth. Even so, we are going to lose a lot of them to migration off shore, those that are not entrepreneur orientated, or of tough pioneer stock, willing to deal with the challenges. Those that leave I can only share a long life of observation. Get a USA nurses degree. Employment for certified nurses has always been good for over a 100 years and the salaries are great and the mobility offered wonderful for around the world travel. There has always been a shortage of registered certified nurses, male or female.
The problems in Belize were created by Said Musa and Ralph Fonseca when he put our country into deep national debt, some 11 years ago. While some of this was corrected by the austerity 5 years of governing in their last five year term, the incoming UDP Barrow government compounded the economic situation with a $200 million dollar borrowing spree this past year and continue to do so with continued borrowing in lieu of innovative leadership capabilities. Attempting to maintain the status quo. This is impossible as any Hurricane will teach you. Essentially we are a wealthy country potentially for our population and land assets, but we need to get the new paradigm shift in governing, better organized and planned out. We cannot normally afford what we have, like California. No matter the resistance by entrenched bureaucrats and political parties, the immediate future needs us as a people, to restructure everything in how we govern. The economy will look after itself, if we can figure out how to deal with the size, operation of government services and cost of same. We need a new paradigm and the OLD GUARD realize this, but their comfort zone is locked up in this old model we use. We need to become lean and mean like the private sector does, when money runs out.
Economically the immediate future belongs to the development of export cottage size businesses. How to do this is the function of BELIZE CABINET policy. An example would be enhancing the importation of Holstein milk cows for increased production of milk, for which there is a shortage in our country and this in turn cramps the export potential for example, of cheese exportation entrepreneurship. A value added product industry we can use. There are many similar examples that require imaginative cabinet policy answers. Tax breaks maybe? Subsidies? Free land?
On the good side, the news is we have $180 million in foreign reserves, the highest in the last four years and this can if necessary, handle at least one hurricane strike, should we be so unlucky this season of 2009. If we have no hurricane it would be marvelous if we could double the foreign reserves in another year.

TURMOIL IN IRAN DOES NOT EFFECT BELIZE FOREIGN POLICY

Iran protests over election results.


TURMOIL IN IRAN DOES NOT EFFECT BELIZE

BY Ray Auxillou, June 21, 2009

The turmoil in the Iranian elections does not seem to effect Belize in anyway. We have to put things in perspective. Belize produces about 3000 gallons of oil per day and Iran produces about 4 million barrels of oil per day. In the third world war for this century, most of the battles are about energy in this third World War, and oil of course tops the security issues. All the countries of the world want to guarantee their oil supplies. The world remains oil driven.
As to the inside turmoil in Iran, as the Religious State leader explained: if there was a few hundred thousand votes difference in the election results, complaints of ballot rigging could be entertained. Presuming any occurred. In fact the difference in the election between the incumbent and the opposition was over 11 million votes. There is no way you can rig that differential. I tend to agree with this. The election of course was rigged in one way and that was in campaigning, as the government finances and resources were used to propel the incumbent into office, while the opposition were fighting against all kinds of restrictions. The same occurs in Belize elections, so there is not much Belizeans can say about that.
While the USA is thrown out as a red herring, to those suspicious of Western secular views for interference. OBAMA has quite rightly explained that both Presidential contenders in Iran are hard line religious state types and the USA will work with either one and does not expect much in the way of differences. The election after turmoil, seems to be more about a new generation of young people in their 20’s and 30’s champing at the bit for more freedoms and less restrictions from religious state rule. They have grown up since the Islamic revolution overthrew the Shah. They probably would like to go secular like Belize? We have to remember though, that Belize has been ruled pretty much behind the scenes for a hundred years by the Catholic religion and it has only really been true, for the last 30 years that a growing evangelical movement of incoming church/school missionaries has changed the dominant political religion in Belize. We are secular now as a state and government in Belize, but it was not always that way in actual performance behind the scenes of political power.
There is the fact that the female population of Iran are very irate, because they want to be equal to males, but are not in their religious and state laws. As an Islamic state, women are possessions of men, as in chattel, like a pet dog, or cow. Women, even though they have gained many freedoms in Iran, are still not equal and can never be under Islamic law from the 12 th century, as expressed in the Quoran. The Muslim holy book version of their man made religion, by their prophet Mohammed.

NEW ARTIST COLONY STARTED ON BELIZE BORDER TOWN WITH GUATEMALA

ARTIST ASSOCIATION OF WESTERN BORDER, BENQUE VIEJO TOWN formed March 14th, 2009. Held at the Marshalleck Cancha in Benque Town. A talent variety show was the first public event of the Association. Bass Impact a Reggae Group played, Musician Pablo Callado played, Pablo Callado a Ventriloquitst performed, Jack Bush a Poett and Hamner Bush among other artists. This is a town of 5000 people thereabouts. Prize categories were Music, Singing and Dancing. A Certificate of Appreciation was awarded to the Benque Viejo Police Department detachment, of our national police system. Other sponsors were MYSTIC JUNGLE RESORT, JUANITA'S BEAUTY SECRETS, BAMBOO STUDIO PRODUCTIONS, PLUS CHANNEL TV, SHADIRA STORE, M&m'S STORE, BRC PRINTING, ANGELUS ICE CREAM AND DELI, PASTERLERIA DE DONA LAUREZ ROSADO, RADIO FM and Radio Limite. Private sponsors were Mrs. Yvonne Arnold and Amado Chan.

Sandpoint, Idaho native visits Belize leaving 3 feet of snow behind.

John Holub, 26 years old, from Sandpoint, Idaho, USA. A carpenter by trade building in houses. Avid snow skier. Enjoying quiet time in Belize. Said he flew in and will fly out of CANCUN from Los Angelus. That he left 3 feet of snow in Idaho in March. Staying at Falconview Backpackers Adventure Hostel, in the dormitory, all to himself and quiety reading the days away in a hammock and exploring the local ancient Mayan ruins.

Scattered Tuesday morning thoughts about Belize

Scarlet Macaw a famous nearly extinct bird of Belize


SCATTERED THOUGHTS THIS TUESDAY MORNING, MARCH 17TH

This old man wakes up early and laying in my hammock before daylight comes, one has the chance to ponder different things. Being an old man and garrulous, here they are. I’m wondering how that road is, to Jalacte, Toledo and to Santa Cruz, Guatemala? My old maps do not show it and I’m wondering if a two wheel drive can get into Santa Cruz that way? We’d like to go back to the Rio Dulce in a few months. Swimming in a fresh water lake ( Lago Isabel ) was so nice, compared to swimming in salt water off Caye Caulker. The trip through Melchor on the border via Flores is about 5 or 6 hours. The two legs of the triangle in the Peten add a good few hours to the trip. If we could travel the Southern Highway and get to the Rio Dulce that way, it would save at least three hours of driving.
Saying that, if there is a new development idea that is worth pursuing for our government of Belize, priority wise for our government, it is completing the road to Guatemala that way. 18 wheeler freight trucks doing trade and commerce, between Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala with Belize would save a good three hours of driving if they could go this way. That is a lot of time and fuel. I would then put a weigh station on the Southern Highway and charge trucks for using the highway, in order to pay for the maintenance. That said, you could even make it a TOLL ROAD for private traffic too. Is there any kind of boat traffic to Livingston from Punta Gorda I wonder these days? A mini van collectivo I know runs from Livingston up to Rio Dulce. It only takes a little longer to get to the Rio Dulce than it does to get to Caye Caulker, from here in Santa Elena Town. Anybody driven to Santa Cruz on the Guatemalan side?
I read in the weekend newspapers that the BDF hijacked some local villager, from Jalacte, of 5 cases of Gallo beer and five cases of soft drinks. What a stupid thing to do? When the government is ready to put in an immigration and customs post on the frontier here, THEN you charge duty. In the meantime, let local border villages get their supplies from across the frontier, rather than the very long trip to Punta Gorda town. It seemed the local area representative used common sense, but the event was distorted in the weekend newspapers out of all proportion and practicalities. Local villagers have to shop where it is convenient. One has to doubt that putting in a customs officer here would pay his salary on those cases the BDF hijacked. The area representative showed common sense by chastising the BDF. The port town BLACK controlled newspapers, blew the thing way up, into some sort of criminal activity. What a bunch of nonsense.
It does seem that during the remaining years of the UDP this term, they could almost reach the goal of putting the nation of Belize on a self sustainable footing for development WITHOUT foreign loan borrowing for the future. The potential seems there, during their last two years of this five year term. One could presume that if they took much of the infra-structure projects planned for this year and spread them over NEXT year as well, the mid term year, that might ease any pain in the economy for what seems to be a difficult year in 2010-11. That said, with careful management, one could see the last two years of the UDP term ALMOST reaching the goal of financial self sufficiency. With a little bit of help from LADY LUCK, the UDP would then get a second term and continuing strict financial management and the normal growth in the economy, around 10%, that would put the country over the hump so to speak. We are teetering on the edge of SELF SUFFICIENCY financially, as a nation right now. It all depends on the political management. This current budget just presented, has so many possibilities and gives HOPE. That finally somebody is trying to do the right thing by Belize. It is possible even by the 2012 last year for this UDP term, that we may have passed the threshold of financial self sustainability as a nation. It all depends on good management by the politicians. If we hadn’t had that trickle down economics three years national debt by Musa/Fonseca and the PUP, we would be there already. I really look forward to seeing some legislation, ruling how we spend money in this country. Setting limits on incoming politicians. Even with the $100 million a year of interest on Fonseca’s/Musa Super Bond, we could and should be able to absorb that in the following 5 year term, if it was the UDP re-elected based on sound fiscal management principals, instead of all this off the cuff, emotional, knee jerk reaction stuff, we have experienced since Independence.
We had expected by rule of thumb, that government total revenue would be $760 million, but the new budget projections are for $717 million. A good $40 million less than expectations. I personally feel as a gut reasoning projection, that the economy in it’s current down phase cycle, will start up again during 2011. This means if we can cut government costs down to more tighter austere conservative projections for this year and next year, we should come out of any economic difficulties, smelling like roses for 2011 and 2012, the last two years of the UDP term. Barrow has been quoted as hoping for an oil price surge, to increase government oil revenues. That is a double edged sword, as that would also increase inflation and cost of living. His current estimates are based on an average $50 a barrel. Probably fair enough as a guess, but I would have based projections on $40 a barrel for oil. I like to underestimate incomes, not overestimate them. Building in a safety factor and surplus surprise cash flow, if you get it. Barrow as Finance Minister is going to have to fight for nickels and dimes over the next two years if his party is going to be successful. I’ve just about wrung out the numbers on the budget. He is saying they took their time, got consultations and technical expertise and the figures confirm what he says. That is gratifying. To make it work during his term in office, he is going to have to keep the screw on austerity though. He will have to get good value for the dollar spent. He also needs more GRANT aided projects, not loans. They’ve done well in the GRANT field anyway this past year, and congratulations are probably in order, but we need to increase the GRANT aided projects for the next two years at a minimum. This is just my personal opinion of course. Politicians have other criteria to ponder.
The battle between the Robber Barons and the PUC controls goes on. We have been getting a lot of electric outages the past few days. My electricity bill, I finally got it down from $138 a month last month, to $103 a month yesterday. I fail to understand why I am paying more for electricity? My bill used to be $78 per month and nothing has changed. Indeed, we go around turning off lights and have eliminated the burglar light in the back yard. Still my electricity bill keeps climbing. I just do not understand it?
I wish the PUC would nationalize the building and fiber optic entry into Belize and make it easier for competitive telecommunications to flower in our country. How many years has it been that BTL in one form or another has been promising us good cell phone service and internet service and we still cannot get either in Santa Elena Town. At least a decade and a half of bull manure propaganda.
The local San Ignacio internet café we use has dropped his monthly fee from $100 to $50, as new competition in Santa Elena Town is effecting the downtown internet café business. The new Santa Elena Town cafe this past week were offering a month for $55. I had to laugh at that. The wonders of competition! I offered our regular internet café we use, $40 a month each and would pay for the three of us in advance. He hemmed and hawed about that and is going to sleep on it. The only way we can cut our internet costs is to shorten our time in the internet café. We pay by the hour.
I don’t understand the visitor statistics on this blog newsletter. One version gives us about 1,210,000 hits since inception 6 months ago. I can’t believe those numbers and haven’t really been able to install a COUNTER on this blog. I think I can stick advertising logos on the left hand side of my page. I may have to sell some monthly adds between $50 to $100 each depending on size. Haven’t got that far yet. We were trying to model after the San Pedro Daily as a format. Really haven’t been able to get a setup, or pre-planned format pattern I can use, that is off the shelf for it though. Notice that the Rocky Mountain Newspaper has gone bankrupt with a whole bunch of USA newspapers. Even the Miami Herald is up for sale. Printed newspapers are going out of style in the USA. Dozens of big city newspapers are going bankrupt. The media world is changing.
Have a married couple coming down next month to research Belize with the intent of moving out of the USA to Belize. They want to rent for two weeks to a month while they look around. The USA is managed worse than Belize it looks like? If the UDP manage to convert our nation, to one of self sufficiency financially, Belize is going to have to become more restrictive on who they let migrate here.
On the local political scene, the Belmopan town council elections show the VIP coming into position to jockey for replacement of the PUP into the OPPOSITION party. I didn’t get to read what the program was for the Belmopan election for the UDP who actually won that Town Board election, but I did read in the newspapers someplace, the VIP program for Belmopan and thought it was an impressive platform. They showed well in the election. If they can morph into a National Party, they would be a credible opposition. I think the Toledo PNP should merge with the VIP and became one of them for the next National Elections. The VIP would then become the replacement of the PUP. Which the PUP would then become an independent minority third party spoiler in the elections.
The PUP actually has cost the nation of Belize about a lost fifteen years of development. This may turn out to be twenty years in the end, lost from where we as a country could be development wise. It was that darned Fonseca / Musa trickle down BORROWING program that did it, accompanied by the FREE FOR ALL outright blatent theft, corruption, sweetheart deals and scandals. If the VIP can replace the PUP at the National Elections level, or compete with them, the VIP should sometime during the next four years, should there be a bunch of graft, theft and corruption scandals within the UDP now in power, they stand a good chance as the VIP, of becoming the next government nationally on the rebound effect. Even if they only got some Opposition seats, the VIP would be in good position to capitalize on that, the following national election. Should the UDP have financial scandals then the VIP would be a default party to elect, if they could get their national aspirations and party machinery in order. It remains to be seen how the UDP perform the balance of this term and whether the VIP can organize their party on a national level. They need to absorb the other competition.

The PARIS HILTON method of staying THIN

Paris Hilton, heiress and successful million dollar a year entrepreneur herself.


STAYING THIN SOLUTIONS

There was an interesting interview with a friend of PARIS HILTON on cable television last night. The interviewer asked a friend of PARIS HILTON how she stayed so thin, or skinny? Was it private physical trainers, or some special diet?
The girlfriend of Paris Hilton, the heiress and dynamic fashion and party going million dollar earner just laughed. No! Nothing like that she said. Paris eats with her friends just like everybody else. She said Paris will go into a FAST FOOD place and order a cheese burger and French fries just like everybody else. She said it was not metabolism, or genes. But quantity of food consumed. She said, Paris Hilton will take one or two bites out of her burger and eat a half dozen French fries and then push the plate away, for the garbage can. To be thin and stay thin, you have to control your food intake quantities.
Having a problem in my senior years with weight and the tubby waist I thought about that statement, long and hard. I try, I really try to control my food intake, but I fail. Partly I blame my childhood. Having gone through the starvation years in England during World War 2, then followed by 1945, 46, 47 and 48 in Vienna, Austria in which during the Russian raping and looting, I saw tens of thousands die on the streets every day, to be picked up by trucks with prisoners of war and taken out to be buried with the garbage, followed by my own mother admonishing me over and over again, to clean my plate and NEVER throw food away as I grew up. The remark that people are starving all over the world never left me. I suppose I have some ingrained psychological trauma, or learned behavior? I find I must clean my plate and I clean left over food out of the pots on the stove, and clean up Silvia’s and Gustavo’s plates as well. I just cannot throw food away. I hope to get better though. Yesterday I put a plastic pig tail bucket by the kitchen door, to accumulate organic food material to make a new batch of compost tea. We and most people in Belize live in a land of plenty. It may not be a varied diet by much, but we do have plenty, with bananas ten for a Belizean dollar. I’m hoping I can overcome my childhood behavior and traumas and justify putting excess food in the pig tail bucket by the kitchen door, with the rationalization that it will make food for the plants in my two vegetable nurseries.
If there is a lesson here for you, or even several lessons, I am glad to be of help! ( grin! )

CARICOM HEADS CONFERENCE IN BELIZE REPORT

Heads of CARICOM Governments in 2009.


CARICOM HEADS OF GOVERNMENT CONFERENCE IN BELIZE GETS A SURPRISE FROM BELIZE PRIME MINISTER BARROW

The former failed West Indies Federation experiment morphed into the CARICOM organization and indeed has been useful in terms of international voting for all fourteen members concerned. In recent years, the impracticality of CARICOM as a working economic entity has been dubious at best. The major industry of CARICOM countries is incoming tourism. With rival CARICOM countries competing for the tourist dollar via nationalistic airlines, financed by massive debt and outrageous, subsidized, party hack appointee, bureaucratic sought expensive equipment, the actual future of CARICOM as some sort of joint working country became extremely doubtful. In recent years, the pragmatic developments on the ground have seen trade for Belize with Central and North America eclipse any utopian dreams of joining Belize to the CARICOM unity, one country and one integrated economic dream ideas. After fifty years of trying, the ideal has worn thin. Nor in fifty years has any CARICOM countries, improved their leadership capabilities and financial status from debtor nations, begging for handouts from the outside world. The biggest export remains emigration of talented people.
Cries at home in Belize in the economic debate and future views, expressed publicly, were for freedom from the chain and ball effects of being tied to CARICOM, a group of small permanently debtor beggar nations under terrible, self serving, political management.
Prime Minister Barrow made it plain in his speech today, Thursday, at the annual CARICOM HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING held at the Radisson Hotel in the port on the central coast of Belize. Belize under his new UDP government has been suffering a crisis of identity and forward movement, to seek growth for an increasing population growing exponentially. Are we as a nation to be Central Americans, or Caribbean losers has been a six month long public debate?
The message from Belizean Prime Minister Barrow, to his electorate and the Heads of Government of CARICOM on Thursday in Belize, was loud and clear. He will force Belize to join more effectively with the CARIBBEAN countries as a new federated state. A new unique Caribbean country. Barrow proposed closer ties and melding of bureaucracies and administrative methodologies of the scattered Caribbean states composing CARICOM in his speech today. Barrow also announced that Belize will join recognizing the Caribbean Court of Appeals this year. Not mentioned, but put off for the future, has been the Eastern Caribbean countries development of one Caribbean currency. Next on the list is undoubtedly going to be a cumpulsory one currency, for ALL Caricom countries and a common CENTRAL BANK.
Since the CARICOM countries are competing among themselves and there is no common transportation systems, no method yet exists of doing business on an eye to eye basis, between producers and buyers throughout the Caribbean, and the difficulties of getting foreign exchange payment for goods from each country with separate types of money seems insolvable. The emphasis of PM Barrow in his speech in joining Belize with CARICOM as a larger Federation, over the growing opposing encouraging business ties with Central America, has left many voters in the six rural districts of Belize, the producers in the nation that create our Belize foreign exchange, baffled and wondering. While it may not seem practical, that is the way it is going to be, said Prime Minister Barrow of Belize. The Maya, the Mestizo, the Spanish, the Mennonites, the White Caucasians can only shake their heads in disbelief. As far as the UDP are concerned, the DEBATE of Belizean destiny and future course and direction is over. Belize will remain orientated to the European Union, as a pseudo colony, through the Eastern Caribbean ties and custom, as a growing smaller state of the Federation in the Caribbean, now called CARICOM.
While the debate over this affirmation of a fifty year long term grind, by dreamers of the Eastern Caribbean, to create a United States of the Caribbean, particularly the English speaking Caribbean, has currently come to an end with PM Barrow’s speech here in Belize. While many at home in Belize, particularly the producers of our economy, may disagree with this Cabinet policy ( there is no decent economic trade to speak of with the Caribbean countries for a variety of reasons ), the policy direction given by our PM Barrow at the Heads of Government conference, to his fellow “United States of the Caribbean leaders,” was welcomed by our scattered Eastern Caribbean counterparts. Here at home in Belize, the economic producers also, with the air and uncertainties cleared up by PM Barrow, in direction of foreign policy, as to our future identity as a small state, member of a larger Federation of Caribbean states, can now start planning how they are going to handle our growing economic trade with Southern Mexico, Central American neighbors and the rest of the outside world, far from European and Caribbean interests. New style foreign bank accounts, new agencies in foreign parts outside of Caricom will be necessary to economically develop Belizean exports. The methodology of our producers in Belize and marketing direction, will have to re-direct itself into new ways of doing business, as our population and capabilities grow as a small state within a larger Federation. Caricom is going to become an additional tax burden to be carried by our producer population. We will have another larger growing federation bureaucracy to support besides our own. Is this policy direction a good one? Only the future can tell!

CARICOM AIRLINES PUT ON HOLD IN 2009

Long range ANGEL twin engine aircraft. Designed by missionaries for long range South American flying of passengers and cargo and now built in the USA.
engine instrumentation.
Seating in the ANGEL twin engine
CARICOM AIRLINES OUT OF BELIZE, PUT ON HOLD

Caricom Airlines intended to headquarter out of Belize, was put on hold this year. Enclosed is the photograph of the first ANGEL aircraft intended to start this internal CARICOM airline. This is an ANGEL taken at Central Farm airstrip for the Western Belize District on February 22nd at the Pilots Association, FLY-IN of Belize. With a 1700 mile range and seven passengers, or 1800 lbs of cargo capacity, this aircraft was intended to be the start up, and pioneering test bed, for building inter-CARICOM trade and economic endeavors.
Initially proposed by the AUXILLOU TOURIST GROUP of Belize, the first investors; the early attempt to get a subsidy from the Government of Belize to cover fuel costs between Jamaica and Belize as a weekly run, fell flat; when the Government of Belize deigned to even respond to overtures. The Government of Belize is heavily in debt and basically bankrupt through mismanagement of revenues. Sweetheart deals, political scams and other forms of high level corruption has failed to meet government operating costs, causing a debt ridden government. Alternatively last year, an offer was made to ALBA BANK out of CARACAS, VENEZUELA to come into the early formation of CARICOM AIRLINES with some start up investment capital. This offer was never received, the Venezuelan Embassy said, late last year in a meeting, mailed to them during the PUP regime, due it is suspected, to censorship and obstruction in the Post Office system. Later this year after new personal talks with the First Secretary of the Venezuelan Embassy, the application for investment participation was hand delivered to the Venezuelan Embassy at their request. Due to the recent oil price crash and shortages within Venezuela, to sustain the high cost consumption levels of that Caribbean population, no response has been experienced to such a formal request for investment participation. ( An offering of B CLASS preferred shares ) The First Secretary of the Venezuela Embassy had intended to attend the Belize Second ANNUAL FLY-IN on February 22nd. and confirmed by phone call this is so. The ANGEL AIRCRAFT was on hand here for his inspection. However, he failed to show up! We took photos and the pilot was on hand to give him an explanatory tour.
We presume therefore; that the idea of starting a START UP, bootstrap airline out of Belize, to join the myriad fourteen countries of CARICOM together economically and for greater involvement with each other, both for trade, tourism and bureaucracy travels has fallen flat? The AUXILLOU TOURIST GROUP are not interested in going into this venture undercapitalized.
This is of interest today, for current affairs studies, as the CARICOM ( new formation of the old British West Indian Confederation idea ) HEADS OF GOVERNMENTS, are meeting in the port town of Belize City, right now, with suitable pomp and circumstance, befitting the inflated egos of a bunch of lawyer politicians and upper level well paid bureaucrats.. We expect much rhetoric and bombast, but after fifty years of trying to form a West Indies Federation, or the successor called CARICOM, we expect nothing else from them. These CARICOM trips are basically tax payer paid travel trips with stop over’s in Miami for shopping. Without direct internal transportation there is no more future for CARICOM economically, than there was for the previous West Indies Federation. The majority of the CARICOM fourteen governments are debtor nations and always broke. Together, the fourteen island states only equal the market population of our neighbor in Belize, GUATEMALA, on our Western border by itself. Not even counting Southern Mexico markets, Salvador and Honduras. All of which are accessible by good roads ( at least outside of Belize ), air transportation and telecommunications. The CARICOM meeting today and tomorrow, is expected to deliver the usual BOMBAST about legal connections and foreign policy, but nothing useful, either for transportation link ideas to tie the fourteen countries together economically and for trade. Without any economic future and trade on the horizon, there is undoubtedly no future for CARICOM either? These people are just wasting tax payers, breath and money, the private sector producers feel.

GUATEMALAN 5 DAY TOUR, VIA COLLECTIVO MINI-VANS TO COBAN, LANQUIN AND RIO DULCE, FEB 2009

There is me, Ray Auxillou in my 72 gringo year, huffing and puffing up and down those hill streets. COBAN is about 75,000 people and roughly 6 miles wide in a bowl shaped valley in the middle level mountains. Here they grow tropical and temperate crops.
Coban street. It is cold in Coban, you need a shirt, sweater and jacket in the night, morning and evening. Days are okay with just a shirt. 4400 feet elevation. Indian center of the Department of Alto Verapaz. The farmers around are very comfortable. Most drive pickup trucks or trail bikes. Or take a mini-van collectivo. All the farm Indian kids have cell phones and pet horses in very good shape. Nothing poor about the rural indian population.
Shoe shine boy at Central Park in Coban, Q2 or .25 cents USA for the shoe shine. We tipped him double and got a great smile.
Hospedaje Familiar across the street from the Hostel in central COBAN.
We ate supper at the Hostel Restaurant but actually stayed cheaper across the street at a Hospedaje for working class people from the country. Bit dirtier, but safe and okay.
Hostel Casablanca, central COBAN near plaza
This image photo is of the crossing of the Rio Pasion at Xayache. Our main goals on this trip were to check the climate and the roads and real estate from BELIZE to COBAN, Guatemala. We traveled from the border frontier of Belize/Guatemala at Melchor de Menchos to Coban in 8 hours. Using four changes of mini-van buses. They run around 2 hours each section at Quetzal 25 per person. The rate of exchange was Q8 per US $1 on that week. Our goal was to check out the state of the roads. They were fabulous throughout Guatemala, paved modern two lane highways all over the place. With yellow lines down the middle and white lines bordering the two shoulders. Next time we will drive our own pickup truck. It had been forty years since I last traveled back country on the Eastern side of the mountain ranges and back then they were mud mostly and mule trains. VERY MODERN today. Better roads than in Belize where we live.

BELIZE PRIMARY SCHOOL CHESS TOURNAMENTS

Belize National Chess Tournament
St. Barnabas Primary School chess club.
SANTA ELENA TOWN AGUADA HOTEL HOSTS PRIMARY SCHOOL CHESS TOURNAMENT

The Chess Tournament had two aims. The first to select the 12 best chess players at the Primary School level ( Grades 1 -8, or to Standard 6 in our local educational system ). These 12 players would enter our Western Recreational Area District competition and also to introduce our new beginners in CHESS, to the experience of TIMED tournament match playing. The idea is to have a lot of FUN, but also socialize with children from schools in other areas of our Western District of the Nation of Belize. We have many different ethnic groups in our part of the country. Our area is growing rapidly with both local and foreign immigration into the area.
The International program “SWISS” was used to decide the pairings of players. The program is used internationally and gives a ranking to the players. There were 45 students competing, ages from 5 to 16 years. One interesting thing to learn is that after the first THREE moves by each chess player, there are 119, 060, 679 million possible moves left in the game.
Time clocks were used for the competition play. FIRST PLACE was Eric Lee from St. Andrews Primary school. SECOND PLACE was Anthony Hulse, also from St. Andrews Primary School. THIRD PLACE was won by Tishay Nunez from Bishop O.). Martin Prmary. Most schools in Belize are run by human organized religions and subsidized about 80% by the Government. Religious schools are a big business in Belize. Anybody can start a school.
12 year and over competition had FIRST PLACE by Jamie McKoy, from St. Barnabas Anglican primary, SECOND PLACE was won by Kevin Medrano and THIRD PLACE was won by Anika Martinez both from Ontario Christian School. You don’t have to belong to the religion of a school to attend and nobody counts the majority MAYA students, who attend a medly of religious schools present in the Cayo District. The Maya have a spiritual belief system, with a Pantheon of Gods; that is not coordinated like man made religious organizations, brought here by invaders from North America and Europe.
The ADVANCED CHESS PLAYERS 12 years and over, FIRST PLACE was won by Gareth Martinez from St. Barnabas Anglican primary, SECOND PLACE was won by Vidal Adolphus from St. Andrews Anglican primary and THIRD PLACE was won by Cesar Gonzalez from St. Barnabas primary.
Mr. William Butcher, normally called “BILL” was thanked for hosting the CHESS TOURNAMENT at the AGUADA HOTEL in Santa Elena Town.
We thank the STAR newspaper for the information and David Coombs the Chess Coordinator.

Belize ART investment for sale!

Historical Colonial painting of Jaguar.

For ART COLLECTORS and investors of things artistic. Belize only has a few artists and since the country is new, since 1981, the painting above is in my own collection. Done by Omar Sanchez in 1970, when the country was still a British Colony, called British Honduras. This painting has gone through several local hands and has been in my own possession for about 3 years. The painting is for sale, with a reserve bid of $12,300 usa. Created before the Independence of Belize.
The idea of getting Belizean art as an investment, has more to do with the passage of TIME and historic significance.
Ray Box 276, San Ignacio, Belize

Belize Tourism WAAAY down for January!

Typical overnight backpacker traveler tourist.



Just checked with tour operators and the Tourist Business in Cayo West is WAAAAy Down. We await the BTB statistics with much interest.

One Belizean just back from CANCUN, says he got a suite on the beach in the most expensive hotel, for $80 a night, had his own jacuzzi in the suite, all food free, all drinks free, everything free. CANCUN is FULL, overbrimming with tourists.
The story was the Mexican government got the airlines to halve their fares to CANCUN and the hotels to cut prices by 50%. IT WORKED for them.
The whole overnight tourist industry in Cayo West is complaining of the scarcity of tourists during the month of January. Blamed are rapacious airline ticket costs to Belize.

CHESS TOURNAMENTS IN BELIZE

Caves branch chess




BELIZE CAYO, WESTERN BELIZE DISTRICT, PRIMARY SCHOOL, CHESS TOURNAMENTS

The Western Belize Recreational and Agriculture Area of Cayo West, are holding the DISTRICT CHESS CHAMPIONSHIP for primary schools, on Saturday, March 14th. Runner up selection chess tournaments will be held for the Western section of the Cayo District at the Aguada Hotel in Santa Elena Town on Saturday, February 6th. The Eastern half of the 500 square mile Cayo District will be held at the Belmopan capital, Convention Hotel. Only 12 winners of the ALL CAYO DISTRICT CHESS tournament will qualify to represent our Western part of the country of Belize, at the National CHESS OLYMPIAD to be held in the Federal District of the Capital of Belmopan on April 25th, 2009. There are six districts in the nation of Belize.
The CAYO CHESS COORDINATOR is David Coombs. His email is: lightningcoombs@yahoo.com Check in time for all events are at 8 a.m. and the tournaments will start at: 8:30 a.m. There are no registration fees, but pre-registration is mandatory for both primary and adult players in the tournaments.
The Cayo District is a famous pioneering TOURIST area, and also famous for a growing agricultural production in Belize. The fledgling industrial manufacturing capacity of Belize is also found here, along with five producing oil wells. The Cayo District runs West to the border with Guatemala and South to the remote unpopulated Belize Alps, and the twin towns commercial center is found at the confluence of the Macal and Mopan Rivers, which join here to form the ancient Mayan river highway of the Belize River, down to the Caribbean coast. Population of CAYO DISTRICT is estimated at 120,000 people scattered in some towns and a lot of villages and small remote farms and cattle ranches. The population of the whole nation of Belize is estimated at 310,000 people, of which about 80% are under 15 years old, spread throughout six districts, in over 6000 square miles. The majority of primary schools are foreign owned, church built operated schools, with some financial assistance from the Government of Belize. The population of the capital BELMOPAN of the nation of Belize is about 5000 people, located in the Cayo District. Belize only has two paved narrow double laned highways. One highway runs from the Eastern Caribbean coast to the Western Guatemalan border and one paved highway runs from the Southern Toledo district of Belize, northward through the capital and port town, to the Northern border with Mexico. All other roads are dirt roads. The bus service is good, cheap, every 30 minutes on average, using CHICKEN BUSES, or USA manufactured imported yellow school buses, jam packed with second class passengers and sometimes freight.

THE USA DEPRESSION EFFECTS BELIZE

THE USA DEPRESSION OF 2009-10 and HOW IT EFFECTS BELIZE?

Obviously the coming World Depression is going to effect Belize in some way? What way exactly we cannot know. Since our currency is fixed to the US dollar, we essentially have a US DOLLAR economy, even though we print our own money in Belize. Our money is not tradeable on the international markets and is basically used for internal circulation. This gives our Belize dollars a certain strong validity for a country like Belize that is self-sustainable. The fact of our own money valuation is a STRENGTH. This presumes our politicians (the UDP party controlling the government of Belize ) has the SMARTS to control the size of government, be frugal and wisely spend the government revenues in a tight fisted manner, and more particularly, keep a strong rein on the money supply. ( printing of money )
Generally speaking, we are a country with a small population and can feed ourselves. To some extent, we can if needed, even supply our own fuel, from diesel made here and E-85 200 proof ETHANOL. We seem to be in good shape for a world depression? Some curtailing of the materialistic life styles might be experienced from importation of manufactured goods. Being an agrarian society, this is unlikely to really prove a hardship. Much of our population already live DEPRESSION style anyway. 20% of our population in my Hillview Community, of Santa Elena Town of the Cayo District, continue to cook using fire hearts. A system of wood boxes filled with sand, and the burning of firewood. This is a method used in the USA during the 1700’s and 1800’s but still used in much of Latin America. About 10% of our community do not use electricity, because they cannot afford the service and rely on kerosene lamps and candles as in colonial days, when our population was smaller. Cost is the factor here, versus incomes. There is going to be some hardship as our population has grown and in the larger district towns, water supply has shifted from the old pioneer days of creeks and rivers, water vats, for the collecting of rain water and in a few cases of water wells, to a National Water Service, supply of water via PVC pipes under chlorinated pressure. The BWS company recently exchanged my water meter, and my water bill has jumped 400%. So the cost of water looks like it will effect larger communities with newer housing suburbs, now relying on pipe water systems. We will probably in a depression, see a return to rain vats, which are still sold around the nation of Belize anyway and quite common.
The biggest danger in a world depression is the fact our nation is so small, the population also small, that economies of size and ideas and plans of politicians in our UDP Cabinet for spending, will tip the balance and send us into a situation where our internally circulated money becomes devalued, either through inflation, or devaluation. The latter caused by our Cabinet borrowing, of foreign loans. We have to watch our national debt to GDP ratio here! The massive borrowing in proportion to the size of our government revenues is a worrisome trend by our UDP Cabinet. They borrowed in our name $150 million during their first year in 2008. Against revenues of around $750 million and a debt load already crippling our government financial operations, with debt payment obligations of around $250 million this year, of those government revenues. Debt payments are scheduled to double in three more years because of BOND interest agreements. Financially speaking, because of the small size, vulnerability to outside disasters out of our control, Belizean governments live continuously on the knifes edge of fiscal disaster. One simple emotional, amateurish political mistake in handling our government revenues, can ruin us for decades to come.
That said, there has been some reason for HOPE in the first month of 2009, as I watched Attorney General, Wilfred Elrington, on television, tell Justice Conteh in a seminar meeting of magistrates, Supreme Court Justices and lawyers of the legal profession, that the plea by Justice Conteh for more money for the legal division of government is DENIED. In fact, the Attorney General, Elrington, went on to say the Government of Belize is not getting value for the money they are spending on the government legal justice system. Judges are careless, lazy and lax in submitting court case judgements in a timely manner, even as the majority of the court cases are simple ones, with rote solutions. I must say, Elrington has made some foolish mistakes, such as over the BRAND NEW GUATEMALAN CLAIM, be even considering going to the ICJ over it, but in that pronouncement against Justice Conteh and our legal system, he vindicated himself handsomely. Another good sign is the recent spurt in GRANTS coming into our government for various government institutions. I note here, the GRANT for $350,000 from the World Bank, for stricter financial controls establishment of the government purchasing system, which is a proper way to go for our small country. This is the correct path ( GRANTS ) to follow, in my opinion.
The danger to Belize in a World Depression is primarily in our money supply situation, the printing of money by our government and the possibilities of DEVALUATION caused by too high a National Debt load to GDP ratio. With the economies of the world rapidly shrinking and winding down, our own situation in Belize is primarily effected by reductions in tourism revenues. The possibility of people losing all their savings and our banks going into crisis is very real and we are but ONE POLITICAL DECISION MISTAKE away from this happening.
In a depression and particularly in a small country like Belize, the DEBT load causes many unforeseen conditions. Almost always causing DEVALUATION. Devaluation and Inflation our our biggest worries for our small nation. These effects can cause more ruin than a WAR, or invasion by a neighboring country, to our population and economy.
It behooves our academic intelligentsia to learn how to live in a COLLAPSING ECONOMY, which could happen in Belize, through just one or two fiscal, amateurish mistakes done by our Cabinet and Financial Minister. We do live on an economic knifes edge here, in such a small population. The BARTER system, and parallel market system is common to collapsing economies, rendered worse by amateurish politicians, mistaken policies. When the value of the government national money collapses, then barter takes over. I have some experience as a young boy in Vienna, Austria in 1945, a conquered city, in which for about a year, cigarettes were the barter system money. Soldiers could get cigarettes and six British cigarettes were worth about five Yankee cigarettes and 20 Russian cigarettes worth five British cigarettes and the French occupation forces didn’t even have their own French cigarettes but had to rely on the English and Americans to supply their occupation soldiers with cigarettes. Six British cigarettes bought me the use of a rowboat on the lake in Vienna for the summer and Fall, every day, for recreational purposes. You could buy a huge valuable stamp collection of hundreds of stamps for a pack of cigarettes and I remember my father buying a 35 mm minature spy camera, which shot photos through a button hole for a pack and a half of cigarettes, for example. The cigarette barter money system eventually was replaced in late 1946 by an Allied Commission issuance of plastic made money. You need something to value the exchange of different goods.
That said, if our academic intelligentsia feels the UDP CABINET are ruining our economic money valuation system internally in Belize, through INFLATION, or DEVALUATION, then they should know and study the effects of the DEPRESSION during the 1920’s and 1930’s in Germany. This was post World War 1. There are articles on the internet to assist them to study. To make a long story short, each village and town in Belize should then create it’s own system of barter, or money exchanged. A private business, or town council can print coupons after the Belizean currency collapses and becomes virtually valueless, like currently in Zimbabwe under Mugabe. Each community requires it’s own money and the most successful villages and towns in Germany, were those that made their own money system, separate from a central government authority. I remember the MARK becoming worthless, and the coins, like the Groshen useless. The national currency quickly becomes worthless as politicians tend to make many mistakes in times of economic stress. A local currency, or exchangeable coupon, for say the Twin Towns, allows people to buy food at the market, gasoline from the gas station, get your shoes repaired, within a very small tight situation in which people band together to help each other. BARTER is improved by having a common system of exchange on the local internal economy of a village, or town. In the meantime, the Central Government is usually declaring all bank notes and coins printed before certain dates worthless and your savings are so wiped out. The Central Government then goes on to print new types of money, which due to bad political policies also becomes worthless quite rapidly and this cycle is repeated. Our intelligentsia need to study this DEPRESSION phenomena of the barter system, that MAY BE required soon in Belize. In so studying, perhaps our politicians will also learn the basics of controlling money borrowing and spending desires they wish to get rich quick, or do things that cannot be done within the reduced fiscal circumstances. It pays to be PREPARED and the DEPRESSION is soon here, for sure, this year of 2009, I have no doubt. Learn how to deal with it, to minimize the effects on your local village or town in Belize. Prepare to lose all your SAVINGS and have the local banks get into trouble. When you are prepared NOTHING ever happens.

Belize Central Farm Pilots Association will be holding their 2nd ANNUAL FLY IN

Long range Angel Aircraft, 7 passenger, twin pusher propellers, 1700 miles.

Photos of Cesnna 182 and a Maule, both of which were here for the 2008 FLY IN.


CENTRAL FARM SECOND ANNUAL FLY IN - for pilots and their planes. Breakfast available. Organized by Tom Wierum at the Central Farm airstrip.

--- On Mon, 1/19/09, Tom Wierum wrote:

From: Tom Wierum
Subject: 2009 Annual Belize Fly-In
To: jlremple@btl.net
Cc: lvly@btl.net, naturalhistory@chaacreek.com, nighthawk54@yahoo.com, melvinplett@gmail.com, cornydueck@hotmail.com, Hillviewhacienda@yahoo.com
Date: Monday, January 19, 2009, 7:14 PM

Hi all,
Its getting close, The now Annual 2009 Belize Fly-In, will be held a few weeks earlier than last years , hopefully we should have milder temperatures and less wind.
The new website is available at the following link Belize Annual Fly-In
It has information as well as a printable flyer, which I would appreciate you printing out a couple copies and passing on to fellow pilots and friends interested in aviation.
We will have lots to see and do. We are planning a piloting skill competition for those who wish to test your aviating skills. We have the organizer and judges in place for a spot landing competition, we are putting the final touches on the rules and procedures for this competition. Those interested can e-mail me for the rules.
We are looking for a sponsor for the event that will provide the trophies/plaques for the event. Please e-mail me if you would like to step up and be a sponsor.
Please RSVP by sending me back an e-mail if you will be flying in so we can plan the parking of the ramp better.
Again, please spread the word to your fellow aviators and enthusiasts!

Hope to see you all there.

Tom Wierum/ Central Farm Airstrip office and hanger.

P.S.: Tom said the server was offline but will be back up in a few days. This is Wednesday, so should be up by weekend. Got some photos on the blog now. The date set for the FLY IN is on February 22nd., at 10 a.m. You got any foreign fliers want to come down and join us all having fun in tropical Belize. Fly Down!

Galen University of Belize hosts 45 International students for the Spring 2009 Program

GALEN UNIVERSITY 2009 SPRING SEMESTER

Galen University is hosting 45 FOREIGN STUDENTS from different lands in their Spring 2009 semester, STUDY ABROAD program. Galen University is located five miles from the town of Santa Elena, going East on the Western Highway, and is next door to the Government of Belize, Central Farm Research Facility and University of Belize, Agriculture College.
Galen University courses are in English and the University has relationships with US Universities for the accreditation of USA Degrees. This attracts students from South America, to practice their English and also to get USA diplomas and certifications. The degrees are done through Galen University ( a private University ) in Belize using DISTANCE LEARNING programs with Universities in the USA. Professors locally supervise and visiting professors come in to do exams and that sort of thing within their academic relationship. The University is an investment by a University system in GREECE.

GUATEMALA DECEIVES BELIZE in new foreign policy gambit!

ONCE AND FOR ALL TIME !
by Ray Auxillou

I think it was Belizean Attorney General introduced that phrase into the discussion of the BRAND NEW GUATEMALAN CLAIM. This phrase continues to resonate negatively in the media and is very damaging to the psyche of the country of Belize, because it is a pure lie. A piece of deceitful fabrication, or disinformation. The media keep using this phrase regarding taking the NEW GUATEMALAN CLAIM to go to the International Court. "ONCE AND FOR ALL TIME" was true enough when the United Nations voted to make us INDEPENDENT, in the UN CHARTER for self determination, but to keep repeating this negative phrase endlessly?
NOTHING COULD BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH! Despite the fact it is foolish to gamble away any territory at the International Court, when you are in possession. Especially when the gamble is YOU, or us, risking everything, and Guatemala risking NOTHING. That is a damned stupid gamble.
What makes my hair stand up on end, and aggravates my bile, is that phrase the media of the port town in Belize keep trotting out. We can settle this ONCE AND FOR ALL TIME! What a bollocks of a lie! If we go to the ICJ.
As long as Guatemala has a paragraph in their Constitution making it treason for anyone to discuss giving up the BELIZE CLAIM, nothing can be ONCE AND FOR ALL TIME. All it means is; if Guatemala goes to court and wins, she gets something for no risk. We lose! If we win the court case, the paragraph in their GUATEMALAN CONSTITUTION makes going to the International Court a big joke, on us. Guatemala will be back again in some other venue, if she loses this no risk gamble for them, and in another generation of politicians will be back just like now, with the CLAIM. Blaming that paragraph in their constitution as an excuse for their actions.
For the International Court and the Referendum to be FAIR, Guatemala would have to show GOOD FAITH and delete that paragraph claiming Belize from their Constitution. As long as the Guatemalan Constitution stands as it is now, Guatemala is not acting in GOOD FAITH. We cannot even discuss this subject with Guatemala, UNTIL they delete that paragraph from their CONSTITUTION, as a pre-requisite to even holding a REFERENDUM. None of this makes any sense otherwise.

HOW WILL THE NEXT ICE AGE EFFECT BELIZE?

THE NEXT “ICE AGE” COMING SOON !

by Ray Auxillou, Jan.13th, 2009

Those of you on the Belize Culture Listserve for the last twenty years, will remember fifteen years or so, ago, when I had a webpage on the coming ICE AGE. Unfortunately, the web page was on a free web hosting service and they wiped it out, along with a hundred other scientific pages I had. Those of you long term members of this listserve, will recollect that my forecast for a very quick ICE AGE was around 450 years from now. I recollect when HOLLYWOOD phoned me about my ICE AGE web pages and asked about the data. Unfortunately, I was unable to respond and if memory serves me, it was to do with the changing orbit of the Earth and tilt of the Earth, along with some other geological data from Ice Cores. The actual forecast was arrived at of several nights of sleeping and dreaming REM sleep with the data then available, when the subconscious arrived at that particular guess of 450 years. Needless to say, most of you will actually be able to remember HOLLYWOOD actually produced a DISASTER MOVIE on the ICE AGE, in which three hurricanes combined to reach into the stratosphere and bring down the cold of outer space into the Northern Hemisphere.

That said, you can watch the Hollywood movie, which in effect is probably as close to what is predicted to happen in a matter of days, even though the process may be somewhat different as a scenario. You can get the movie on CD.

Here though is some updated data on the coming ICE AGE and it seems to be closer than 450 years? Since we are measuring geological changes on the longer term cycles, pinpointing an actual arrival date for the next ICE AGE is inaccurate. Suffice to say; we are OVERDUE for this to happen, roughly 2000 to 3000 years. This event could be triggered and occur at any time! What the trigger is, we do not know. We do know the ICE AGE runs in cycles of around 100,000 years, with minor warming periods on shorter cycles. The warmest interglacial period is that we live in now and we are at the end of this period. Cyclically this period runs around 10,000 years and in this case we are already about 13,000 years into it. We have an idea of what causes the end of the ICE AGE and the start of the 10,000 year warm inter-glacial, but not which event triggers that will start the ICE AGE. The end of the ICE AGE usually comes when the ORBIT changes closer to the SUN and the tilt of the EARTH passes through an asteroid belt, believed to be a long term 26,000 year cycle out of the elliptic. 13,000 years ago, current theory says an asteroid hit the ARCTIC OCEAN ICE CAP and the blast swept across the Northern Hemisphere. This set fires and the geological record confirms this event with a carbon layer all over North America, when fires raged, blast damage was sustained and there are charcoal layers, at that layer of sediments in the geological record. The ICE AGE large predators and animals were wiped out instantly. Of more concern to us today here in Belize, is that the next ICE AGE cycle is overdue and could occur over a few days or a week. How, we do not know? If I was living in North America, Canada or the USA, I surely would recommend moving out of there. My wife and I already did, to BELIZE.

Al GORE, former USA vice president got a Nobel Prize for his presentation on global warming and the rise in CO 2 in our atmosphere. Obviously this was a political structured NOBEL PRIZE, because his science was totally false. His data and presentation was based on rising CO 2 levels in the atmosphere, predicated on human industrial activity in the burning of fossil fuels. Unfortunately in geological terms, his data was based on climate data less than a few hundred years old.

Paleoclimatolgy has served the scientific community with data going back around 420,000 years and this crosses several ICE AGE phenomena. The EARTH is living and breathing in much longer cycles of millions of years. What we have from paleoclimatology and scientific data from astronomy, geology, ice cores from places like Antartica, Greenland and the VOSTOK ICE CORES supplied by the Russian scientific establishment. Including ocean sediment cores and other data, is that; rising CO 2 gases are a normal part of the cycle of change, but that this change is based on leading rising ocean temperatures. If you remember your COCA COLA soft drink, when it is placed in a refrigerator, the carbon dioxide forced into the liquid during manufacture seems to dissolve, or disappear in the soft drink liquid. When it warms up, or is shaken, it fizzes as the CO 2 comes out. This knowledge is also true of the OCEANS. The rising temperatures of the OCEANS preceed the released CO 2 levels found in our atmosphere by around 750 years according to cyclical ice core data. Increased CO atmospheric gas is coming from our oceans, because they are warming. The effect of humans is miniscule on this longer term cyclical process. The obvious conclusion from paleoclimatology is that; rising ocean temperatures are leading rising CO 2 levels by around 750 years, the ICE CORE data show. You can find graphs online for the VOLSTOK ICE CORE data and temperature, and CO 2 levels going back 420,000 years. CO 2 levels will not drop, the cyclical data show, until the OCEANS start to cool. What trigger will cool the oceans? The water will absorb the CO 2.

During the warm interglacial period of 325,000 years ago, the atmospheric CO 2 levels were higher than they are today. True, we are rapidly approaching that cyclical peak of the last couple of ICE AGE cycles this happened in paleoclimatology.

The warm interglacial period in which we live is called the HALOCENE. The astrological cycle studies are three in number and best expressed by a Russian scientist named the MILANKOVITCH THEORY of causation of ICE AGE changes. When you study astrology, or the movement of EARTH by watching the stars, ORBIT CHANGE is usually done in long time periods. What we know is based on periods of TIME longer than a 20,000 year cycle. While humans have been on EARTH for millions of years, if not more than a hundred million years, our written history is based mostly on the past 6000 years, even though we have town and city ruins on EARTH going back to 11,000 years discovered and excavated by archeologists. There has been extensive study in recent years on mini-climate cycles over the past 2000 years. A very short period indeed. We have had some mini short term cold cycles of just a few years, in which humans died off from starvation in the last 1200 years. Changing temperatures, rain patterns and droughts.

Orbital mechanics of planet EARTH are longer cycles, based on periods over 20,000 years. The change in the cyclical orbit of planet Earth is a much slower component of climate change. The most pronounced public data are the RUSSIAN VORSTOK data of ANTARCTIC ICE CORES going back 420,000 years. When you combine the fossil record, geology, paleobotany, zoology, you get the cyclical picture of recurring ICE AGES in a rhythm of around 100,000 years. We are overdue for the next ICE AGE and while the arguments go on, what will cause it to occur; the

TIMING debate is anywhere from 72 hours, to three years for an ICE AGE to swallow the Northern Hemisphere and kill off billions of humans and other animals. That Europeans and North Americans do not make libraries and technology and machine museum storage in places like Belize, Colombia and central Africa is beyond me. We have caves in Belize that could be used.

It is also apparent from archeological work, that humans survived quite well behind the shelter of the Himalayas, in what today is called PAKISTAN, KASHMIR and northern India. There was also a pocket of humans survived in the PYRANEES mountains of Europe, warmed apparently by the GULF STREAM and a wall of mountains. Studies of the BASQUES and NEANTHERDALS have shown us this.

From the viewpoint of us here in Belize, Central America; a sudden climate change would effect our temperatures and the types of crops we could grow. We would change from a tropical environment to a temperate environment, probably within a single week. Humans did live in Belize during the last ICE AGE, archeological work record, by teeth and tool marks on extinct GIANT SLOTHES, a predator of the ICE AGE show. Perhaps our government could ask our local BNE oil company, to share their oil exploration data and tell us what trees and plants grew here in this locality during the last ICE AGE? We need only go back 15,000 years for data. The coming ICE AGE is going to change human numbers from the billions of people living on EARTH, to only a few million, or less, around the world. ARE YOU PREPARED?

References: Joseph Adheumar 1842

Joseph Croll 1875

Milutin Milankovitch 1920 -30’s

John Imbria, James, Hayes, Nicholas Shackelton, 1976

Journal “NATURE” of 1992 on Russian Volstock ice core data


Estimating the arrival of the next ICE within 400 years.
http://westernbelizehappenings.blogspot.com


Information on visiting and living in Belize
http://folkmusicfl.tripod.com/adventuresinbelize/