Tell us about Mexico, Loose.

Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua. Where are you from?

Sorry if I couldn't answer, I went to an "encuentro" (lol) all weekend, to make my confirmation.
Guadalajara, same as Solarboy, but he's from Zapopan, though it's practically the same thing...
Here it isn't that bad... I mean, I can go to the malls, to the store, travel from Zapopan (near Solarboy's house) to my house in Guadalajara (which takes around 40 min) by bus, and nothing happens... There's the occasional robbery, accident and all, but it isn't a great deal... The only thing that's happened near me, was a kidnaping in my current school, but in the entrance where it occurred there wasn't any vigilance, and I don't know if that guy was involved in drug things or something, or was just a random kidnaping (which I don't think so...). The thing that happens in Jalisco is the "Cartels" against "Los Zetas", but against innocent people isn't too normal...

Hey guys, I found the only website where real news about the drug cartels and gangs in Mexico is shown!

http://www.blogdelnarco.com Just use Google Translate.

Found it in a relatively new Newsweek.

Hey guys, I found the only website where real news about the drug cartels and gangs in Mexico is shown!

http://www.blogdelnarco.com Just use Google Translate.

Found it in a relatively new Newsweek.

wow, actually in my "encuentro" (lol, encounter?) a friend was talking about that blog and the horrible pics there... But he said it was about the dead bodies of some "Cartels", who had been kill by members of other "Cartels"... Those guys don't want any competition... It's usually Cartels vs. Zetas vs. Government vs. More Cartels... Innocent people are more likely killed in Cd. Juarez, where Loose lives... In the majority of the rest of the country it isn't too common...


EDIT:

Look what I found while doing my Reading & Writing homework:

MEXICO CITY — President Ernesto Zedillo vowed Tuesday that the mounting violence in Mexico will not provoke him to turn to authoritarian methods to keep peace.
"I do not believe that the solution for Mexico's problems is authoritarianism," Zedillo said in the second of what his advisers promised will be monthly news conferences and the first open to the foreign press. "What Mexicans want is democracy; they want orderly, civilized peace."

More here
From what Loose said, I think that when Calderon "openly declared war against the drug trafficking", was when those guys started hurting innocent people...

Here's another point of view from a friend a mine, an anime lover freak person man:

4. Living Dangerously: The Juarez Otaku.

Nevertheless, otaku culture has thrived in my hometown, Juarez. The clubs have multiplied; there are conventions and public events every month; cosplayers are numerous, and their costumes are increasing in quality. The attendance and involvement have increased throughout the years, and show no signs of stopping.

Despite, you know, being a place where at least 8 people are murdered per day, on average. And that’s without considering all the rampant kidnapping, theft and violence that pervades our lives and minds. We live in fear, paranoia and uncertainty. In more than two years, this situation has done nothing but escalate.

And yet, the Juarez otaku still try to attend the anime conventions and events. Despite the lack of safety, the opposing parents and the lack of a structured industry, the otaku in Juarez and Mexico thrive. The internet helps: blogs, message boards, social networks, all help create a sense of community, despite all the things that bring us apart. But even then, all that exchange is limited to the virtual world: We’re still separated from each other, and from the world. Who knows how this otaku generation, in both its isolation and innovation, will affect the future of a disordered country’s society and culture?

[Source and full story: All About Manga]

I'm interested in the change, if any, after the large bust in northern Mexico.

I'm posting in this thread whenever crap like this happens, I don't care if I'm double, triple or n-posting. I'm gonna keep informing you guys.

14 killed in party, 19 injured (English), Spanish.

In the border city of Ciudad Juarez, meanwhile, the death toll from a birthday party massacre late Friday rose to 14 after an 18-year-old male died of his wounds.
Nineteen people were wounded in the attack on two private homes where about four dozen partygoers had gathered for a teen's birthday.
The dead identified so far were 13 to 32 years old, and the majority of the victims were high school students, a survivor said.
While investigators said they have not yet identified the perpetrators or a motive, police found 70 bullet casings from assault weapons typically used by drug gangs at the scene of the shootings. Cartel violence has killed more than 2,000 people so far this year in the city across from El Paso, Texas.
Drug gangs have increasingly attacked private parties that they believe members of rival gangs might be attending; other innocent partygoers are often killed in such attacks.
On Sunday, prosecutors in northern Chihuahua state, where Ciudad Juarez is located, said they were searching for a man known only by his nickname, "The Mouse," who was apparently the target of the gunmen.
The man was reportedly wounded in the Friday shooting, but has disappeared. Investigators said they believe he can shed light on who was trying to kill him.
Memorial services were held Sunday for some of the victims of Friday's attack, and prosecutors said that guards had been provided to protect those services.
Friday's attack recalled a similar massacre in Ciudad Juarez in January, when gunmen killed 15 people at a house party.

On Friday night (the night that his happened), I was supposed to go back to the US. But since it was already too late, I decided to stay the night with my grandparent's, in Mexico and head to US the next morning. I had called my parent's to tell them that I wasn't going to go the US that night, because it was too late and I was tired (school project had kept me up until around 3 AM on Thursday/Friday). My friends where having a party on Friday night, since they had just gotten a house (in Juarez) for themselves and I was invited, but I declined the offer, since my plan was to go to the US that night. As I was calling my parents, I thought on mentioning to them the party and asking for their permission to go to that party (yes, I'm 23 years old and I have to ask permission to go to parties, well, it's more like giving them a notice). But I decided that I was too tired and I wouldn't be able to stay awake past midnight, so I didn't tell 'em about and just stayed over at my grandparent's house. By 11 PM I was already sleeping.

On Saturday morning, I wake up at around 10 AM, take a shower and get my stuff ready to head on over to my parents' house in the US. While I'm downstairs getting some water for my trip, my grandma tells me that their was a shooting at a party. I started to panic, a lot. She told that around 15 students were killed. Oh my God, I felt horrible and almost wanted to puke. I asked her where it was, where it happened. She told me that she couldn't remember, but just pointed in the direction of the house of where my friends were having a party last night. I kept asking her to remember where it was, and I told her if it was around the area where my friends now lived and she told me that no, it was further down south.

I've never felt anything like that. It sucked, a lot. Part of my was relieved that it wasn't my friends, but it wasn't really relief, since it could've been my friends. Those that got murdered on Friday were someone else's friends, family members, sons, daughters, cousins. What the f'uck is wrong with this place!? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THOSE PEOPLE!?!?!?!?!?

The latest news about this is that the gunmen were asking for a person nick-named "the Mouse", but no one in the party answered, then the massacre happened. The headline in the newspaper today was "Nobody wants to talk? Shoot them all.", which seems like a quote from the head gunman at the Friday night party.

^
you know, this was on the news over the weekend too. I was watching it and I immediately thought of you and your living situation.

If news from one country is covered in the headline news, then pomegranate has officially gone down o_o.

Wish there was a way to stop this or bring it down.

Holy crap that was so frigging close Loose.

Glad to hear you are safe, Loose.

Holy shi-!

Man, that's horrible... It's good to know you're okay.

It's ironic the most horrible place in the world (well, I think so, or at least in Mexico) is called "Ciudad Juárez". You know, "The respect to the rights of others is peace." :/

On Saturday morning, I wake up at around 10 AM, take a shower and get my stuff ready to head on over to my parents' house in the US. While I'm downstairs getting some water for my trip, my grandma tells me that their was a shooting at a party. I started to panic, a lot. She told that around 15 students were killed. Oh my God, I felt horrible and almost wanted to puke. I asked her where it was, where it happened. She told me that she couldn't remember, but just pointed in the direction of the house of where my friends were having a party last night. I kept asking her to remember where it was, and I told her if it was around the area where my friends now lived and she told me that no, it was further down south.
.

Oh ya, at Drum Major Camp at Central Michigan University this summer we were notified that a fatal shooting had happened at a local joint called The Cabin. Well, my brother works there and he works the door as a "bouncer" so I immediately went into the mode you were, heavy chest, light hearted, wanting to puke. I did everything I could to reach him and he wouldn't answer. Finally, three hours later I got a text saying he was okay. Probably one of the worst feelings I have had.

Stay strong Loose - keep fighting the good fight and keep being the good man that you are. That's the only way to put an end to this pomegranate.

In my World Regions class in college, we have this 'World Leader's Death Watch' where if World Leaders die we get a space on our 3x3 bingo board. And if we get 3 in a row, everyone (2700 people in the same class) get's an A. So far we have one space because we replaced Calderón with 12 Mexican Mayors. This class has like totally opened my eyes to the real happenings in Mexico. Like how some birthday party or something to that effect was stormed by one of the cartels who then murdered 14 kids there. Oh, I just saw the link in your post now Loose. But yeah. It's a truly horrific scene in Mexico right now at least where the cartels are most prevalent. I'm glad he keeps us informed about current events like this.

In my World Regions class in college, we have this 'World Leader's Death Watch' where if World Leaders die we get a space on our 3x3 bingo board. And if we get 3 in a row, everyone (2700 people in the same class) get's an A. So far we have one space because we replaced Calderón with 12 Mexican Mayors. This class has like totally opened my eyes to the real happenings in Mexico. Like how some birthday party or something to that effect was stormed by one of the cartels who then murdered 14 kids there. Oh, I just saw the link in your post now Loose. But yeah. It's a truly horrific scene in Mexico right now at least where the cartels are most prevalent. I'm glad he keeps us informed about current events like this.

Prime Minister of Barbados died recently.

Long time no update.

Bad people seem to be having contests or some pomegranate, trying to think of ways to make the situation even worse. "What can be worse than what we're already doing? How can we more devious? What would pineapple up pomegranate harder than what we're already doing?" Well, they still manage to raise the ante, how, you ask?

"Let's extort schools by putting up a blanket with words ('manta', don't know what it's called in English) that says "Suspendan actividades o aténganse a la consecuencias" ('Suspend activities or face the consequences')." Yup, true story, happened to the Jr. High School 'Federal 16' (can't find it in English yet), well, just the blanket part, the extortions are happening to lots of schools. Of course, our wonderful is on the case, as always, saying "We're looking into it...". Something worse will happen, the masses will forget about this, except the ones that are directly affected by it and the cycle will loop. No results, no arrests, no items, Final Destination.

Also, more killings at parties, but that's not really news, since it's starting to become common as pineapple. They're just taunting us now...

Oh, I almost forgot, they're also threatening funeral services. I assume they call someone attending it, telling them to leave now or face the consequences. I'm not sure how it works, but I know it happens.

A literal blanket? Like a blanket you sleep with? I thought you meant something like spray paint.

Things like these:
[imgspoiler]http://www.ahoramismo.com.mx/fotos/Noticias/8/2010-9/14046/NARCO-MANTA-LUIS-CARLOS.jpg[/imgspoiler]
[imgspoiler]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JyyA5uIZOYU/S5GlBiNC_eI/AAAAAAAAAgo/07VmPwek8Hw/s640/NarcoManta_zetas.jpg[/imgspoiler]
Just google "narcomantas" for more examples. They're commonly placed on bridges and walls where a lot of people can see them. It's the equivalent to posting, just in real life.

Things like these:
[imgspoiler]http://www.ahoramismo.com.mx/fotos/Noticias/8/2010-9/14046/NARCO-MANTA-LUIS-CARLOS.jpg[/imgspoiler]
[imgspoiler]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JyyA5uIZOYU/S5GlBiNC_eI/AAAAAAAAAgo/07VmPwek8Hw/s640/NarcoManta_zetas.jpg[/imgspoiler]
Just google "narcomantas" for more examples. They're commonly placed on bridges and walls where a lot of people can see them. It's the equivalent to posting, just in real life.

Banner is a decent catch-all term.

Banner is a decent catch-all term.

Banners! That's the word! It never crossed my mind. Thanks, man!

[imgspoiler]http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_JyyA5uIZOYU/S5GlBiNC_eI/AAAAAAAAAgo/07VmPwek8Hw/s640/NarcoManta_zetas.jpg[/imgspoiler]

I know this is serious pomegranate, and I shouldn't laugh but...
the Maruchan's part made me lol xD :b