Keeping Our Heads Above Water or Truly Stupid White Men
By Keith Keller
We had come to Togo to teach the Togolese fishing methods that would require less fishermen and catch more fish. This was not to be a lesson in fish catching capitalism. The Togolese suffered from a protein deficiency. It was evident in the red hair, swollen stomachs and apple-size belly buttons of the kids. A U.N. food and agriculture guy had written Sargent Shriver about the problem and said fish was the answer. U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization representative Alsop showed us around when we first arrived. He was mostly into fresh water fishing and fish farming. He brought us to a number of villages and had the odd habit of kneeling in front of Juju altars and performing mock obeisance while mumbling gibberish. I remember thinking, “so this is the guy who got us here, figures.”

Nick “Scorpio” Powers es ‘El Halconero’
Episodio Uno: El cambio de plumaje
Por Ran Scot
(Español) Antes de que existieran las pistolas, ya existían los halcones. Éstos como otras aves de presa son asesinos gráciles y discretos; una forma mucho más orgánica de cazar. Fuimos invitados al piso secreto de Nick Powers, Villa Scorpio, donde vimos a su nueva ave. Entre las curiosidades antes de la entrevista, se incluye que el halcón me arrinconara en una esquina mientras yo trataba de recordar desesperadamente cómo me había dicho Nick que usara el guante para defenderme. Después de mi nada graciosa huida, Nick Powers llegó con una cabeza de pollo para el halcón y comenzó la entrevista:

La Jerga: ¿Qué tipo de ave es?
Nick Powers: Él es un Caricare encrestado (Polyborus plancus), tiene se reproduce desde el norte de Texas hasta el sureste de Argentina.

En ese momento, Beaker, como le llaman al halcón, había empezado a sorprendernos con su particular estilo de comerse una cabeza de pollo.

Nick “Scorpio” Powers is The Falconer
Episode One: The Molting
by Ran Scot
(English) Before there were guns, there were falcons. A much more organic way to hunt, birds of prey are sleek and graceful killers. We were invited to Nick Powers’ secret layer, Villa Scorpio, to have a viewing of his new bird. Pre-interview antics included me getting cornered in the cage by the falcon and desperately trying to remember how Nick Powers had cautioned to use the glove to defend myself. After my less than graceful escape, Nick Powers arrived with a chicken head for the falcon, and the interview began:

La Jerga: What kind of bird is that?
Nick Powers: He is a Crested Caracara (Polyborus plancus). He has a pretty wide range, from about the north part of Texas to Southern Argentina.

At this point, Beaker, as the falcon is known, has begun to astound us all with his particular style for eating a chicken head.

Maestro de los Juguetes
Por Ran Scot
(Español) Como es frecuente en San Miguel, muchas de las más grandes maravillas se encuentran detrás de las puertas más inimaginables del pueblo. Por ejemplo, la colección de juguetes de Don Gumercindo España en Casa Cuesta. Gumercindo empezó a hacer juguetes hace más de 40 años, bajo la enseñanza de su padre, aquí en el Estado de Guanajuato. El domicilio familiar hacía las veces de taller. Con toda la familia ayudando, incluidos los niños quienes tomaban los pinceles y pintaban juguetes todos los días.
Lea Más...
(English) As is often the case in San Miguel, some of the greatests wonders are behind some of the most unassuming doors in town. One such example is the toy collection of Don Gumercindo España in Casa Cuesta. Gumercindo began making toys over forty years ago when his father taught him here in the state of Guanajuato. The family home acts as the factory, with his entire family helping out, right down to the kids, who get to pick up brushes and paint toys everyday.
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Palabras Rosario Kandell
Fotos Michael Amici
(Español) La luz al final del túnel o el pasado, presente y futuro del drenaje sanitario.
SAPASMA tiene responsabilidad completa sobre el sistema de agua potable y el drenaje sanitario de San Miguel. SAPASMA, siglas de Sistema de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado de San Miguel de Allende, es un organismo descentralizado creado en mayo de 1992, como consecuencia de un mandato federal requiriendo de los estados y municipios la administración de sus propios sistemas de distribución de agua. Es administrado por un consejo directivo y un regente municipal. Según indicó el Sr. Manuel Anguiano, contador de dicha dependencia, el propósito de SAPASMA es la planeación y ejecución de los trabajos relacionados con la provisión de agua potable así como alcantarillado y drenaje sanitario para la comunidad. El consejo directivo consiste de un presidente, un secretario, un tesorero y uno o dos vocales, designados todos por el municipio por un periodo de dos años. Los cargos antes mencionados, reciben una compensación y pueden ser re-electos. El consejo directivo elige al Director General, puesto que ocupa actualmente el Ing. José Antonio Jaramillo Villalobos.
Lea Más...

(English) The light at the end of the tunnel or sanitary sewage past, present and future.
San Miguel’s public water and sanitary sewage system are the full responsibility of SAPASMA. SAPASMA, which stands for Sistema de Agua Potable y Alcantarillado del municipio de San Miguel Allende, is a decentralized organization created in May 1992. Mr. Manuel Anguiano, SAPASMA’s accountant, indicated that its purpose is the planning and execution of work related to supplying potable water as well as sanitary sewage and drainage to the community. It was created after the federal government mandated that states and municipalities manage their own water distribution systems. An executive board as well as a municipal regent administer SAPASMA. The board consists of a president, secretary, treasurer, and one or two vocal members, appointed by the municipality for a period of two years, who can then be re-appointed. Members of the board receive compensation. The executive board designates a General Director. The current General Director is Ingeniero José Antonio Jaramillo Villalobos, who provided us with much of the following information.
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The Personal Ads
By Stucco Steve
In today’s fast paced world with multiple tasks and responsibilities taking up most of our waking hours, how do single people find love nowadays? One could hang out at the bars, wasting precious, valuable waking hours, waiting for a hottie to stroll in and sit beside them while they drool profusely. This can only lead to disappointment for all. There is now a less time consuming and less chancy way of meeting that significant other through what is referred to as the “personals”. Most city newspapers have a classified ad section entitled Personals. People place an ad describing themselves and what they are looking for. This method avoids the bar trap, saves valuable time and ideally weeds out those who don’t meet the profile.