Crisis Stings Britons in France and Spain

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/30/business/global/30return.html?emc=eta1

so tow ma SHORE

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.”

New US Ambassador

Vilma Socorro Martínez

According to Telam yesterday, The White House has confirmed the selection of Ms. Martínez as the next US ambassador to Argentina. Her bio shows a lifetime of activism as opposed to being a career diplomat.

Slate.com has a great article today on career diplomats vs. political appointmees to ambassadorships. I'm still laughing about this part:

"Ronald Spiers, former ambassador to Turkey and Pakistan, remembers a conversation with a Navy admiral, who told him that after retiring he'd like to serve as ambassador to Spain. To which Spiers, a lifelong diplomat, responded that upon retiring he would like to command the Sixth Fleet. "He didn't think it was funny."

Food Fight!

Terrence Henry has got a food fight on his hands at Atlantic.com and it's one that we're all familiar with:

"Is Buenos Aires A Great Food City?

That is the question I came here to answer, after all. And it's a hot subject of debate among the expats here, which you can read about on our discussion group, where a thread titled "Food Revolution Bypasses Buenos Aires" is now at 143 posts, with a total of fifteen pages devoted to the topic.

With three months here, and with much exploring and dozens of restaurant visits under our belt, I feel qualified to answer the question definitively. (For myself, at least.)"

The Atlantic has been a lifelong favorite of mine ...and it's been a godsend to get it free on-line for the past two or three years. They have the best food writer in the world too: Corby Kummer! Check it out.

*WARNING: the "discussion" is at baexpats.org ...tail biting being a favorite snack there!

San Expedito. Protégenos,

“You're taught to chase after the usual brass rings, being on this 'who's who' list or that top 100 list, how much money you make and how big your corner office is; whether you have a fancy enough title or a nice enough car. Let me suggest that such an approach won't get you where you want to go. It displays a poverty of ambition, that in fact, the elevation of appearance over substance, celebrity over character, short-term gain over lasting achievement is precisely what your generation needs to help end.”

State of the Hispanic Blogosphere 2009

"Globally, half of the overall bloggers are from Spain, being Argentina, Mexico and Chile the following most active countries in number of bloggers in the Hispanic world."

¿Dónde está todo el mundo?

Do things seem a little slow in your favorite boliches?

Gracias, Horacio!

Drinking Liberally's great friend, Horacio de la Iglesia sent us a link to some really beeyoutiful fotos of US coches from the 50's and 60's via billsretroworld.com Cadillacs are well represented and are a favorite of mine.

It put me in mind of my favorite car that I ever owned so I thought I'd send him back a pic of an old flame, Wanda. It's from the brochure but the colors are exact.

Ok. '73 was not a classic year for Cadillac ...but it was the last true CdeV hardtop ...was among the longest they ever made (the famous '59 looked longer than anything you ever saw but that was due to the flowingest lines in history) ...and had the second biggest production engine ever made: 472 ci (the largest was the Cadillac 501.) It also coincided with the 1973 oil embargo and marked the end of an era as well as any other make and model. I haven't admired a Caddy since.

The sheer power of it all. Power everything: seats, windows, brakes, antenna, everything. And that engine. At 100mph, you could stomp on the accelerator and the raw torque would feel as if all 5000 lbs of her would take flight as smoothly and unimaginably as a 747 out of Ezeiza (the engine hood alone looked like small aircraft could take-off from it.)

I named her Wanda. I don't remember why exactly but it might have had something to do with Indiana license plates having the strange and prominent motto: "Wander" or it might have been from Neil Young's album with the Shocking Pinks. Memory fails me.

She was also variously known as The Millenium Falcon (similar dimensions) or The Exxon Valdez ...the latter not because she leaked oil, she did not, but rather because the Captain was often drunk and below decks.

It was fun translating her measurements into metric. It's probably easy for you to convert them back... except maybe for mph. Strain yer brain on that one! (no, it's not an error.)

Accept no substitutes...

I was tickled to show my wife that her favorite hot sauce in the whole world is currently the subject of the #1 emailed story in today's New York Times. Great story. Lot's of surprises, too.

I think that I first ran into Huy Fong's Sriracha on Argyle St. in Chicago's Little Saigon ...after discovering my first bowl of pho a couple of days earlier. That setting and the Vietnamese name on the bottle always made me think it was from Vietnam.

Sriracha, however, turns out to be the name of a seaside town in Thailand. The inventor is ethnically Chinese ...from Vietnam. And the bottle has always said "Made in USA" (the tears in my eyes probably kept me from picking-up on that last detail.)

Yep, the stuff is as yanqui as Mike.

Name, please.

Dearest Moonunit ...sweetest Dweezil ...no? How 'bout Krisis Mundial (we could call her Kris!)? No dice? How 'bout Pedro Pablo Ignacio Juan Francisco García y Gabaldón? Not allowed either? What's up with that?

Won't you sign in, stranger? Welcome to the wonderful world of "approved names" in Argentina. Like many European countries, La República has a list from which you are required to select your babies' names. There are even some rules regarding some of the approved ones.

Although US citizens can sometimes be shocked by weird baby names, most of us are astonished to find that countries like Germany, Denmark, Norway and France restrict you to a state compiled list (usually of about 10,000 names.) Lots of Latin American countries have rules but I think that Argentina is the only one with a European style list.

Even if the kid's name is on the list, you might not get it approved if it doesn't meet certain qualifications.

For example, you can name your boy María ...but you have to put a masculine name in front of it. Likewise, you can name your girl José if you put a feminine name in front of it. Some other names like Cruz or Fé are non-gender enough to require a name before or after that indicates the sex of the child.

Some Japanese names get the OK ...if they are transmitted through the father. Native American names can be a hot topic sometimes ...but are generally given a lot of latitude.

The law from which all of these policies stem has 5 basic parts. First and formost, nothing embarrassing or crazy or "contrary to custom" nor anything that might confuse people as to the sex of the child.

Secondly, foreign names are either OK or not OK depending on ...whether or not they've changed the law. Argentina, with its great history of immigration has had to struggle with this many times. Currently, the law says that foreign names are prohibited except in the case of "castellano-ized" forms (e.g. Deysi ...which is on the list!) or if it's one of the names of one of the parents (as long as it's not too difficult to pronounce ...and has no Argentine equivalent on the list.)

That rule is why my wife's middle name is Ester ...when her mother's name is Esther. I think that by the time she was born, the name Ester had made it on to the list ...thereby taking away her option of using her mother's spelling of it.

Many foreign names have been incorporated in all their distinctive glory; Zbigniew is right there on the last page in perfect Polish spelling.

Children of non-citizens are, of course, not covered by the law and can be named anything they want ...as long as they are not permanently living in Argentina.

Third, no giving your kid a "last name" as his first name (something that is almost common in English, such as Stanford White, Humphrey Bogart, Jefferson Davis.) The first name Washington has, however, made it onto the list ...a name commonly associated with Uruguayos.

Number four is very straight forward: you can't name your kid the same name as any of his living brothers or sisters. Punto.

Finally, in the case of young "Pete" at the top of this post, no more than 3 first names to go along with his last name.

A lot of this stuff is up to the discretion of the judge at the Registro Civil that punches baby's first ticket. After grooving to the law for awhile, however, I think that I may have found something weird that just might fly! I don't see any rule against giving your kid the same name 3 times.

If the judge is from La Boca, "Diego Diego Diego Jones" just might make it through.

A few interesting facts and figures.

In a little work of this description it is not proposed to tire the mind of the reader by quoting a lot of official figures which, interesting as they may be to the statistician, convey little or no meaning to the general public. At the same time, it is impossible for the visitor to understand the raison d'etre of a city of such importance and luxury as Buenos Aires unless it be fully realised that it is the main entrance of the imports and principal outlet for the exports of the Republic, and no idea as to the importance of the country in the commercial scale can be gathered without the aid of a few figures.

Railways.

The railway system of Argentina possesses a peculiar point of interest to the English visitor, for it is almost entirely due to British capital that the network of railways which now connects all points of the Republic was originally brought about.

Whoever may entertain the slightest doubt as to the Republic's triumph and march along the road of progress must at once have all such doubts dispelled by even a casual glance at the official railway figures. The total amount in metres of railway track completed, or in the course of construction, on December 23rd, 1908, was 23,722,600, showing an increase over the year 1907 of 1597 kilometres 100 metres. This means to say, that in that year railway lines in the country were pushed forward at the phenomenal rate of 4½ kilometres every day. The total cost of railway construction in the Republic up to December 3ist, 1908, was reckoned at £1,41 1,457.

The mileage of some of the principal railways in March, 1909, was as follows :
Great Southern Railway ... ... ... 2740
Buenos Aires and Pacific Railway ... 2494
Central Argentine Railway ... ... 2390
Buenos Aires Western Railway ... ... 1305

The respective capital of these four railways to date is:
Great Southern Railway ... ... £33,300,000
Pacific Railway ... ... ... £15,450,000
Central Argentine Railway ... £32,188,141
Western Railway ... .. ... £17,020,805

Argentine Wheat.

Firstly, as a wheat-producing country, Argentina ranks sixth in the world, only being beaten by the United States, Russia, France, India, Austria and Hungary. The crop for the present year (1909) is calculated to reach 5,162,000 tons, and on December 31st last (1908) the various Railways, by order of the Government, had sufficient rolling stock on the line to ensure the transport of 1,065,000 tons of grain monthly, the tonnage being distributed as follows :

TONS.

Southern Railway ... .... ... ... ... 235,000
Western Railway ... ... ... ... ... 167,000
B. A. and Rosario Railway ... ... ... 142,000
Central Argentine Railway ... ... ., 135,000
Pacific Railway ... ... ... ... ... 157,000
Argentine Great Western Railway ... ... 60,000
Andino Railway ... ... ... ... ... 19,000
Central Northern Railway ... ... ... 30,000
Province of Santa Fe Railway ... ... ... 67,000
Central North Eastern Railway ... ... ... 35,000
Cordoba and Rosario Railway ... ... ... 18,000
Total ... ... ... 1,065,000

The above quantities do not refer only to wheat, but also include linseed, maize, and oats. The total cereal crop for 1909 is calculated to aggregate 15,494,000 tons.

Argentina may import beef

That's right, fans of grass-fed beefy goodness. For the first time in history, the land of beef could be forced to import steaks and ribs and roasts just to meet the local demand of the biggest beef eaters on the planet. No more exporting beef, either. The story in yesterday's Clarin is as disorienting as "sending coal to Newcastle" or selling snow to eskimos.

Please don't blame me. Faithful readers will remember my worrying about beef production here and the low slaughter weight and sending mother cows to the carnecería in much greater numbers.

I can add a little something more to the story of beef here: I don't think that the traditional grass-fed beef really exists anymore in Argentina. At every auction we attended this season, there were no traditional "winterers" buying calves ...only the feedlot operators. And prices were so low that I can't count the number of cows that were sold for less than you would pay for a whole beef tenderloin.

Importing beef will be controversial enough ...but get ready for some bonus quilombo: Argentine beef producers are limited to an artificial low price in order to keep the cost of beef low to Argentine consumers. The price of foreign beef can't be controlled in the same way.

Will Argentina not only import beef ...but also pay foriegn producers more than they allow their own citizen producers to be paid?

via www.campodiario.com.ar: (hat tip to 99!)

"As production drops, Argentina could have to import beef for the first time in history.

A report circulating privately in the Government admits for the first time that Argentina may have to import beef in 2010, if its inhabitants continue to consume some 68 pounds annually per capita, the highest in the world. .

In the U.S., which remains on the list consumed 44 kilos per capita.

Specialists from the Ministry of Agriculture estimated that meat production in 2010 would fall to 2.67 million tons from 3.11 million expected this year. In this scenario there will be no meat for export. And it would be necessary to purchase some 1.000 tons abroad, to meet the consumption was estimated at 2.68 million tonnes.

The official report is very short but contains key figures to understand the magnitude of the crisis affecting livestock. It was prepared by the Directorate of Agrifood Markets and already reached the hands of the secretary and the minister Carlos Cheppi Débora Giorgi. Clarín, able to access a copy of the work, confirms the critical early stage by all private analysts, but so far denied by the Government.

What the report says? The current stock cattle, 55.3 million animals could retreat in 2010 to 47.9 million head, and hence meat production also fell sharply. The diminished the supply is about 438 thousand tons. The setback would be 14%.

The government agriculture experts do not address the causes of such a strong downturn; they simply limit themselves to producing the figures. Clearly, however, taking into account the fierce drought and other equally devastating phenomenon, which can't be addressed too much: the very policy of "stepping on" domestic prices and limiting exports discouraged cattle production, at the time gave a high domestic consumption. The high killing of females, over 50% of slaughter, gives an accurate account of this long liquidation process that began in 2006.

In this scenario, the report does not rule out the possible importation of beef in 2010 in order to supply the local market, as well as the disappearance of exportable balances. Argentina, which became the first beef exporter in the world five decades ago, would not only abandon its reputation but also the income from the sale abroad of some 450,000 tons of beef cuts. In 2008, foreign orders accounted for U.S. $ 1.500 million.

This projection was constructed without taking into account other variables such as average slaughter weight (currently 214 kilos on the hook) and the consumption of meat, which since 2007 has remained stable between 67 and 68 kilos per capita. This means that the shock scheduled for 2010 could be avoided by any of these ways: up the weight of the cattle that reach the refrigerator (and thus increase the production of meat) or to reduce the consumption of Argentines. The first alternative seems unlikely in the midst of a severe drought and the price of grains. The second option is politically and culturally very resisted.

Many private analysts had already figured that Argentina would import beef in the short term. But others, like the respected Ignacio Iriarte, don't believe that it will come to that. Rather, they consider that when higher prices occur they will act as brake on internal consumption. Although higher prices have already appeared, in relative terms, beef can remain competitive. That is: one kilo can cost $20, but yields more food than a pizza. Although pizza may be cheaper, beef could be worth twice the price."

Source: Clarín, May 12, 2009

Getting Around, 1909

On first arriving in Buenos Aires many a visitor, relying upon knowledge gained by the perusal of ancient, out of date, or fictitious literary matter, is surprised to find that Buenos Aires is a city, a really great city, and not a picturesque collection of wooden shanties, backed by a prairie and inhabited by a population of half-civilised ' gauchos,' mounted on rough-coated ponies and armed to the teeth.

It is as well to dispel this illusion at once by stating that Buenos Aires is one of the largest cities in the world; the largest of all in South America and undoubtedly the most important and the most modern and progressive in the whole continent. Larger in area than Paris, Berlin, or Vienna, the ' Paris of the South,' as Buenos Aires has been by no means unaptly nicknamed, is possessed of every possible improvement and convenience that modern ingenuity has devised. In fact, the resident of Buenos Aires would be far more surprised to hear of any modern improvement his city does not possess than the newcomer to see the many that it does.

Buenos Aires was founded as a city in 1535, but it's only during the last half-century that her progress has been so phenomenal as to attract world-wide attention.

In a city such as Buenos Aires, where much depends upon the season and even more on the statistics relating to immigration, it is not possible to give any precise figure as to the amount of population. It may be put down roughly at one and a quarter million inhabitants, and a very large percentage could be described as floating population, spending part of their time in the city and part in the camp, as the country districts are generally referred to. Also, the population varies to the extent of very many thousands, according to whether the shipping is brisk or dull. The town is divided into twenty parishes and police districts, and protection is provided by thirty-eight auxiliary police stations ('comisarias') besides the Central Police Department in Calle Moreno. On the whole the police force is conscientious and efficient, although somewhat scanty for a city of such importance. In all cases of complaint the stranger can depend upon courtesy and civility, more especially on the part of the superior official. He will, however, not so easily find promptness and dispatch, but the visitor may as well make up his mind from the moment of landing to philosophically practise the virtue of patience when dealing with any class of officials whatsoever.

How to Find Your Way.

The arrangement of the streets is such that, when the new arrival learns to bear a few facts in mind regarding construction, he can find his way about with a minimum of inconvenience. The town is entirely bisected by a long, and, in places, broad thoroughfare, named Calle Rivadavia.

Starting from dock No. 3, this street runs through the whole town, and every street placed at right angles to it starts its numbers there. Thus, walking up Calle Rivadavia and keeping his back to the river, the pedestrian will find that the first house in each street he passes is marked No. 1 on the one side and No. 2, on the other, this rule of numbering odd numbers and even numbers on opposite sides being preserved without exception. The streets are divided into blocks of fifty numbers per side. Thus, it stands to reason that any given number may be located by a moment's thought. The No. 580, for instance, in Calle Cangallo, is on an exact level with No. 580 in Calle Bartolome Mitre, Cuyo, or any of the other streets running parallel with that thoroughfare. At any corner of Cangallo, the visitor will see by the number-plates of the houses of all streets running at right angles that he is at the end of the second block, the houses show 199 at one side and on the other. By that he knows at once that he is but blocks or squares from Calle Rivadavia, the city's main artery.

The map supplied with this publication is printed with the EAST - where the City is entered from the docks at the FOOT, which is usually occupied by the South. This is done to place the plan of the City before the traveller as the City itself is when he lands from the steamer.

Tramway Service.

The city's tramway service claims to be the most perfect in existence. Throughout the entire central portion of the town there is a line of electric tramways in every street with the exception of the Avenida de Mayo and Calle Florida. The narrowness of the streets already referred to forbids the existence of a double line except in such wide thoroughfares as the Paseo de Julio, the Paseo Colon, the Avenida Alvear, and various portions of such streets as Calles Las Heras, Rivadavia, Cordoba, Almirante Brown, &c., and in the various suburbs. For instance, car No. 9, running from Retiro, makes its way up Calle Reconquista, but returns via the next street, Calle San Martin. To ascertain the various routes traversed by the different numbered cars the visitor cannot do better than purchase one of the ten cents tramway guide-books, on sale in any part of the town.

Mike's Standard Guide, 1909

HAVING been repeatedly asked for a Guide to the City of Buenos Aires, with a correct and comprehensive Map, Yanqui Mike has replied by putting this blog before the public.

To deal separately with its features it only need be said that the Spanish Conversational Phrases do not pretend to convey anything like a full knowledge of the Spanish language, but merely to supply the conversational needs of the new arrival. Should he be only on a short visit they will answer most of his requirements.

On the other hand, should he intend making a long stay, they will answer the purpose of assisting him until such time as he makes other arrangements for acquiring the language. For this reason the phrases deal with every situation in which the new arrival is likely to find himself within the first few days.

The Illustrations are in every case original and accurate.

The Compilation has been so arranged for as to ensure its absolute accuracy.

Railway Information, and that concerning postal and telegraphic regulations, municipal and other statistics, &c, have in every case been obtained direct from their respective official sources.

Historical Data have been culled from works of proved reliability, and, in short, no pains have been spared by Yanqui Mike to put on the market an unambitious but useful blog, well calculated to fill its mission of being "guide," mentor, and friend to the new arrival.
..................................................................................THE PUBLISHER

War Funding

by Jerome Armstrong, www.mydd.com

This is disappointing:

The House this week will consider a $96.7 billion emergency supplemental appropriations bill that funds wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and other military and domestic needs for the rest of the fiscal year.

It is "expected to pass" the House "easily, despite anticipated opposition from anti-war Democrats".

At least we have a few on our side. But really, I can't believe that our Democratic leadership is continuing the war charade for the Pentagon through supplemental appropriations for the occupation of Iraq and the mistake of Afghanistan.

What happened to forcing it into the Pentagon budget?

Meanwhile the GOP opposition: "But Republicans might attempt to provoke a partisan fight during floor debate over the future of the 241 detainees held at the military's detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."

You have to give them credit for knowing how to move the debate. They get the funding they want for the war, even with Democrats in total control, and still make the Democrats look like lovers of terrorists.

Anyway, this will give us a roll call of the Democratic wing of the Democratic Party at least-- which in this case translates into honest accounting & transparency.

It boggles my mind to think that we spent the six years of this decade, 2002-08, turning the Democratic Party into the party that said "no more" of Iraq, and won the approval of the majority; only to turn around and do exactly the same sort of supplemental appropriations of war funding as was done under Bush.

Wheat: Rain Needed or no Planting

from CampoDiario.com.ar

"Wheat: 1 1/2 to 3 inches of rain needed in order to begin planting

The only areas with sufficient or acceptable moisture to start sowing the grain are some areas of downtown Santa Fe and the center-south of Entre Rios.

The sowing of wheat in 2009/10 runs a serious risk of failure if is a risk if in the next two weeks it does not rain between 40 and 80 millimeters in the main agricultural regions affected by the brutal drought.

Regions that have acceptable or sufficient moisture to start sowing are some areas of downtown Santa Fe and the center-south of Entre Rios, where you need to fall at least 20 millimeters in the coming days.

Meanwhile, in the southeast, central and northern Buenos Aires, La Pampa and Córdoba (where the bulk of the wheat in the country) there is still a serious lack of surface moisture in the soil profile.

"This is vital and crucial to begin the work of planting, given that the lack of later rains is not such a critical issue," said Thomas Infocampo to Parenti, a specialist in the Guide Strategic Agriculture (GEA) of the Bolsa de Comercio de Rosario.

"The intention of sowing wheat is almost zero, no producer wants to expose themselves in this complicated scenario," said Parenti, before adding that "the planting will be delayed until there is enough rain, or until the right political signals appear".

The Grain Exchange in Buenos Aires estimates, on a preliminary basis, that in 2009/10 there would be planted 3.70 million hectares nationally, an area that, with the average yields obtained in 2008/09 (20.7 qq / ha), would generate a harvest of 7.65 million tons (versus 8.70 million tonnes in 2008/09)."

Expect big problems in the price of flour and bread ...and maybe even shortages next year, both in Argentina and her major trading partners. Brazil, for example, imports almost all of its hard wheat from here. The 3.7 million hectares forecast for this year is down from 7 million in 2003. Other than the US and Canada, there is no other big producer of hard wheat (suitable for bread) in the Américas other than Argentina.

Related articles:
Financial Times
Bloomberg
MercoPress

Alicia, I see you...

...standing on the stairway
Waiting for your bear there
Handy on the landing
Penny in my pocket
High enough to hold you

When I come back home to you tomorrow
You may well be angry
I'll for sure be hungry

Meet me in the middle
Make it melt like chocolate
Be my little baby

I'll take you down by the water
Some December morning

Take you from your family
Leave them to their longing

Take you by your hand
Somewhere on the sand

Alicia, I love you
Though I'm late to say so

Hesitate to tell you

What will be your answer
Some December morning

Standing on the stairway

Alicia, I see you.

Doing your heavy lifting...

American Expat has got a couple of great posts up that I sadly missed somehow on their day of publication.

The one you need is her post on how the government just made things a little easier as to you getting your residency and/or citizenship! You being able to make actual appointments takes the sore feet and sore attitude out of standing in lines forever. Please to dig it here.

Her other other blog has a cool article on manufacturer's outlet shops. The LaCoste outlet is right next door to Drinking Liberally!

...and it looks like there's a blog in the works on volunteering in Buenos Aires. I'll bet she can make that easier for us, too. If so, I'll see you soon!

La Fábrica del Taco

I just got back from tacos at my favorite taco joint in Buenos Aires: La Fábrica del Taco on Gorriti 5062, a block from Plaza Serrano. Man, I love that place. If you haven't been ...you gotta go. I'm so glad that it is not near my house. I would not only be fatter but poorer (monetarily!)

Ah, but the satisfaction that I feel right now is hard to describe. I think that the "Volcan" ($10) is my favorite ...a little ramekin of chopped onion and cilantro was the last possible tweak ...and with their homemade salsas picantes, and some velvety Negra Modelo ($13) with lime, I was transported to a plane which I haven't visited for a while.

What draws me out of my way, though, is tortillas de maiz. The little crunchy tostada was not enough for me to do a corn tortilla review ...but just the fact that a tortilla made of something other than flour was available was enough to put me over the top.

After 5 years here, I have revised my stock list of things that I miss from the old country. It just might be that I don't miss ANYTHING ...except for good corn tortillas and anything else made from nixtamalized corn.

I've done without good corn tortillas for long enough. I haven't tried the tortillas from Mole, although I tried (they were closed.) and I hear that California Burrito Company has begun to offer them as an alternative. But I'm tellin' ya, if I don't get some good corn tortillas soon ...I'm gonna have to open a tortillería myself!

As any good woman of buena voluntad and a drop of Aztec blood will tell you, "if you're going to make one tortilla, you may as well make a hundred."

...and please, don't give me that Masa Harina story again. That's fine in a pinch (and the majority of tortillas made by Mexicans in and out of Mexico are now made that way) but the old process of soaking good field corn in slaked lime then grinding the wet kernels is actually easier ...if done on a large enough scale. I think that you could sell them retail and that any Mexican restaurant would be pleased to be relieved of the gyrations they have to go thru to produce them themselves. Investors take note!

Best Expat Article I've read in a long time

http://www.csmonitor.com/2009/0501/p09s02-coop.html

Paying a Price for Loving Red Meat

By JANE E. BRODY

The New York Times

There was a time when red meat was a luxury for ordinary Americans, or was at least something special: cooking a roast for Sunday dinner, ordering a steak at a restaurant. Not anymore. Meat consumption has more than doubled in the United States in the last 50 years.

Good article. I'd like to know, however, how grass-fed beef works into this equation and if the Argentine experience is in any way different.