Surviving Yucatan

See the full article at: FBAR’s and Fideicomisos: To File or Not to File, That is the Question
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To file or not to file, that is the question:
Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer
The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,
Or to take arms against a sea of troubles,
And by opposing end them?

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub;
For in that sleep of death what dreams may come
When we have shuffled off this mortal coil,
Must give us pause: . . .

Yes, sometimes it seems easier to shuffle off this mortal coil, than to fill-out and file Federal Forms with the US Treasury and the IRS. (Where filing on-time from Mexico presents its own problems: if you use Turbo-Tax, you can only e-file from Mexico if you still have and list a US address, while H&R Block’s TaxCut allows e-filing from Mexico, without a US address.)

Back to the points about FBAR’s and Fideicomisos

Requirements for US Tax filing . . .

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Read the full article on FBAR’s and Fideicomisos: Requirements for filing at: (or access under Living in Yucatan (see header) )
FBAR’s and Fideicomisos: To File or Not to File, That is the Question

Also, see our related on-going saga of US Tax Info in this related article: “US Income Tax Filing Information for Ex-Pats” at: (or access under Living in Yucatan (see header) )
US Income Tax Filing Information for Ex-Pats
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

See full article at: https://yucalandia.wordpress.com/living-in-yucatan-mexico/phone-calls-to-and-from-mexico-dialing-made-easy/
Abstract: Dialing and Calling Into and Out of Mexico:
Imagine you are enjoying Merida and want to call a friend here in Mexico or back in the USA or Canada. The prefixes you need to dial depend on *where you are* and *what kind of phone you are using* (land-lines vs. cell phones).   The rules for phone prefixes within Mexico, and from outside Mexico,  are different for land-line vs. cell phones.

Land-Line Phone Calls Within Mexico:
Land-line to local land-line: Dial the seven digit number (i.e. 924-1234) . . .

Read the full article on phoning to and from Mexico at: (or access under Living in Yucatan (see header) )
https://yucalandia.wordpress.com/living-in-yucatan-mexico/phone-calls-to-and-from-mexico-dialing-made-easy/
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

More bumpy economic weather ahead?

or

Why the Markets fell last week?

This seems to be a good time to evaluate/assess what’s going on, since we’ve now gotten a bunch of key 1’st half of 2010 data to evaluate.

US GDP estimates have been lowered from 3% down to 2.7% and the investment markets slid nastily last week. Why?
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1. Mess in Greece: . . .
2. Cookie Jars Raided: . . .
3. Limited growth due to too much a) Debt and b) Remaining (hidden?) economic problems. . .
How deep are these holes? . . .
Congress & Obama’s biggest economic mistakes. . .
Financial Reform Bill. . .
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What do you-all think?

How does it tie in to Mexico and her economic future?
How does US/European stumbling affect Mexico and the economic futures for expats in Mexico?
Does a weaker US dollar mean a stronger Peso?
Are the brighter/stronger economies of Brasil, China, & India (11% – 12% projected 2010 growth) better indicators of Mexico’s economic future?
Is Mexico still (and inevitably?) in bed with the Elephant to the North?

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Full text of article can be read at:  (or access under Pesos, Politics, and Propaganda (see header) )
Economic Recovery? The US Role in Worldwide Stagnation

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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

Many expats have been discussing the likely impacts of the recently passed US health-care legislation on people who live and work outside the USA. The law now requires that US Citizens meet several requirements to be exempt from getting health insurance or paying penalties: a foreign “tax home” and foreign residency.

Background: Under the new health care bill, Section 401 of Subtitle A requires all US citizens to obtain health care coverage. The penalties for failing to buy insurance are steep, up to 2.5% of AGI, capped at a threshold equal to the average premiums for health care available. Applicable penalties will be collected on the individual’s future tax returns.

Can you meet the US Govt’s requirements?
.    .    .
One final question remains:
Why is this article listed under Science & Health   vs.   Pesos, Politics & Propaganda?

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Full text of article can be read at:  (or access under Science, Tech and Health (see header) )
Health Care Insurance Requirements for US Expats
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Mexico: “Nothing can be organized but everything can be arranged…”
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

Econ Journal Watch reports some interesting findings from a 2008 survey of 4,835 American adults:    Economic Enlightenment …

The surveyors asked randomly selected adults a series of 8 questions to  determine correlations between economic knowledge and:

• * 2008 presidential vote,
  * party affiliation,
  * voting participation,
  * race or ethnic group,
  * urban vs. rural,
  * religious affiliation,
  * religious participation,
  * union membership,
  * marital status,
  * membership in armed forces,
  * NASCAR fandom,
  * membership in the “investor class,”
  * patronage at Wal-Mart,
  * household income, and
  * gender.

Conclusions:
Economic “enlightenment” (basic knowledge) was found to have no correlation with going to college.**

In contrast, economic “enlightenment” (basic knowledge) was highly correlated with the participant’s self-identified political ideology. Progressives and Liberals scored very differently than Conservatives and Libertarians.

How did you rank on the questions?***

How did you characterize your political ideology?
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Full text of article can be read at: or access under Pesos, Politics & Propaganda (see header)
Economic IQ & Political Ideology
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Mexico: “Nothing can be organized but everything can be arranged…”
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

Update:
The changeover from Echostar 7 to Echostar 14 at the 119W satellite position has continued to whack some US Dish Network clients with a big stick, eliminating access to many channels across much of Mexico, and now shifting local South Florida channels to spot beams.

Since Dish Network has shifted these local channels to spot beams, and the spot beam is so narrow (by design) that it is not received in Yucatan, then the only practical ways to get ABC, NBC, CBS, & Fox is to make some changes proposed in the full article.

For purely scientific reasons, we’d love for people from around North America report their locations, dish size, and 119W signal strengths by transponder number as things change over the next few weeks.

Reader feedback about Shaw Direct?

What a great hobby!
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Full text of article can be read at: or access under Science, Tech, & Health (see header)
Satellite TV Information June 2 Update
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

Recent News:
The changeover from Echostar 7 to Echostar 14 at the 119W satellite position has whacked some US Dish Network clients with a big stick, eliminating access to many channels across much of Mexico.

After moving Echostar 14 satellite into position to replace the old Echostar 7 at 119W, last week Dish Network started tightening up their broadcast coverage, allowing less signal to bleed south into Mexico from their “new” 119W satellite. Details on equipment and what works are in the full article. What a hobby.

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Full text of article can be read at: or access under Science, Tech, & Health (see header)
Satellite TV Information
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Feel free to copy while giving proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

People diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been found to have genetic changes in their DNA, making them different from healthy people, (see online May 3 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences). The researchers found that there were dramatic differences between the immune system genes and brain cell growth genes of people with PTSD and people who do not have PTSD.

These differences are reported to likely cause significant pathophysiologic and psychopathological problems in PTSD patients, specifically causing subsequent:

• immune system dysfunction,
• emotional changes,
• hyperarousal, and
• exaggerated startle responses to sound*    . . .  (cont)

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Read the full article at: (or put your cursor over Science & Health in Header)
Genetic Changes In People with PTSD
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Feel free to copy with proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .

This article is a reply to some questions asked about the impacts of leaking deep water oil wells.

Here are the questions:
“. . .I am curious about about oil drilling off Mexico’s coast.   Would that be Pemex who is responsible for those sites or does Mexico have foreign operators for those?   Ultimately, who would be at fault in the event Mexico experiences such a disaster?”

In response, we offer some points on Current, Past & Future Issues with Oil Production in Mexico.  The information presented exceeds what is needed to answer the questions, because we’re interested in kicking around the ball with folks with discussions on:   the future of the Mexican economy & the future of the Peso – and these topics hinge heavily on Mexican oil production.

OP: “Would that be Pemex who is responsible for those sites or does Mexico have foreign operators for those?” . . . (cont)

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/2226
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The full text of this article can be read at:
Mexican Oil Production: Past, Present, Future

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Feel free to copy with proper attribution: YucaLandia/Surviving Yucatan.
© Steven M. Fry

Read-on MacDuff . . .