𝐃𝐎𝐄𝐒 𝐆𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐀𝐔𝐓𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐌𝐀𝐊𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐎𝐁𝐒𝐎𝐋𝐄𝐓𝐄?

    

Crisscrossing the town today in my new job driving Uber and Lyft, it occurred to me that an old person can easily become obsolete, not just pas·sé, but actually unuseful, a word just one notch kinder than "useless."

As a very smart little boy in the 50's things came too easily and I found I could mostly just coast, a modus operandi also nurtured by an inherited religious belief system that mostly just waited on the Almighty to make everything perfect and just.

Of course, consumers were programmed to believe most things eventually become obsolete. The 50's brought us planned obsolescence, intentionally making things that would become obsolete so folks would gravitate toward and purchase the newest and latest.

The '56 Chevy was a perfectly good car with straightforward lines, but lacked the fins and the chrome of the '57, the tail lights of the '58 and finally the gaude of the monstros '59.  The postwar world of that era believed in creating demand by fostering dissatisfaction, something called "planned obsolescense," the basis of which is making something obsolete or simply made not to last.

I remember looking quizzically at the home of Ed Beckley, a Boeing engineer, who lived behind our church in Renton, Washington, with a 40's car in his carport he maintained perfectly, never "upgrading," bucking the country's economic system.  Beckley simply chose not to play the game.

Today, it came to me that old age can become unplanned obsolescence unless one puts forth a little effort to adjust.  Maybe grandpa can't write code like his grandsons, but what's his excuse for not becoming adept with the iphone or laptop, not simply being too mentally lazy to try?

𝐀𝐌𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 "𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐈𝐆𝐍𝐒" 𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐄𝐗𝐈𝐂𝐎'𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐆𝐃𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐎𝐅 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐎𝐒

In what could be a prank or some misguided political exercise, a group of "young Americans" were observed posting six signs on Mexico's Bagdad Beach east of Matamoros after crossing the Rio Grande by boat.  The Mexican Navy (SEMAR) , not appreciating the "invasion" of American civilians, removed the signs.

"American authorities can't come to Mexico and invade, right?" asked Mexican Congresswoman Elvia Eguia Castillo.

Eguia stated that the incident demonstrated the need for increased surveillance on both sides of the border so that "this doesn't happen again."

𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗦𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗜𝗙𝗙 𝗗𝗘𝗣𝗨𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗢𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗛𝗜𝗧𝗦 𝗨𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗩𝗘𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗟𝗘 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗟𝗘 "𝗢𝗡 𝗗𝗨𝗧𝗬"

 

Hugo Dante Salinas Jr.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~𝗡𝗢𝗛𝗘𝗠𝗜 𝗦𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗭 𝗠𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗘𝗭, 𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗔𝗨𝗟𝗜𝗣𝗔𝗦 𝗧𝗔𝗘𝗞𝗪𝗢𝗡𝗗𝗢 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡!

 

𝗠𝗬 𝗕𝗨𝗦 𝗧𝗥𝗜𝗣 𝗔𝗦 𝗔 𝗧𝗘𝗘𝗡𝗔𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗢 𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗥𝗜𝗖𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗦𝗢𝗬 𝗦𝗔𝗨𝗖𝗘 𝗢𝗡 𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗬𝗪𝗢𝗢𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗘

   

The charter bus I'd taken from Tacoma encountered a traffic jam a mile from Los Angeles and the driver let me off near the HOLLYWOOD sign to walk the last mile into town.  I remember being intrigued by the black rubber that covered the first highway clover leaf I'd ever seen. 

As unsophisticated as you find me now, in the summer of '63 I was a complete rube, so naive I'd let a hotel desk clerk bait me into a wrestling match. The clerk put me in a sleeper hold and I'd woken up to smelling salts and intense laughter in the lobby of a rundown hotel on Figueroa Street.

From the old wooden window of my room, I peered down on a man pulling out a knife and street women making their approaches.  Knocking on the door of a Chinese restaurant near Hollywood and Vine, a waiter told me to go around to the back, then offered me white rice and soy sauce, telling me to keep the plate. (I left the plate and a dime at the back door.)

It's embarrassing to admit it now, but when I took my first bath in my hotel room and saw a bunch of skin I'd left in the clawfoot bathtub, I was certain I suffered from the "heartbreak of psoriasis," a malady we were warned about in early 60's TV commercials and I thought might be something like VD I'd contracted from the sin of masturbation.  A day later I relaxed remembering I'd sat on a bench covered in spilled turpentine while house painting to get the money for my trip. 

𝗕𝗢𝗥𝗗𝗘𝗥 𝗖𝗥𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗢 𝗧𝗔𝗞𝗘 𝗟𝗢𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗦 𝗨𝗦𝗕𝗣 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗗𝗨𝗖𝗘𝗦 𝗣𝗛𝗢𝗧𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗘𝗥𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗢𝗡-𝗨.𝗦. 𝗖𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗭𝗘𝗡𝗦

                               

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will soon require all non-U.S. citizens entering or leaving the country to provide photographs and fingerprints, a move that experts say will likely cause significant delays at the nation’s borders. TheB biometric data collection program, set to launch on December 26, will apply to travelers at airports, seaports, and land crossings along both the U.S./Mexico and U.S./Canada borders. It will include visa holders, lawful permanent residents, seasonal workers, and even children.

The new system is designed to strengthen national security and combat passport fraud and visa overstays, but researchers and immigration advocates warn that it could create longer wait times and logistical challenges for millions of commuters who cross the border daily.  The addition of photo and fingerprint checks could further slow already congested crossings, particularly in vehicle lanes, but also airports and cruise ships.

Outbound inspection areas, originally set up to prevent the illegal flow of weapons and cash into Mexico, will now also collect biometric data, potentially increasing traffic congestion for those heading south. 

The rule, published this week in the Federal Register, allows the Department of Homeland Security to collect biometric information at all official departure points, including airports and land border crossings. According to DHS, the collected photos could remain in government databases for up to 75 years.

Some travelers have already experienced early versions of the system. A Canadian psychologist said he was photographed by uniformed officers as he boarded a plane from Cleveland to Toronto earlier this month. “I was aghast. I felt ambushed,” he said, describing the incident as intrusive and unexplained.

CBP has used facial recognition technology for nearly a decade to verify the identities of international passengers arriving in the United States, but this marks the first time it will be mandatory for all departing noncitizens as well. The agency says full implementation at land borders could take place as early as next year, with seaports and airports following within the next three to five years.

~~~~~~~~~~~𝗢𝗟𝗗 𝗙𝗥𝗜𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗦 𝗥𝗘𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗦𝗖𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗔𝗧 𝗚𝗔𝗥𝗖𝗜𝗔'𝗦 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗔𝗧𝗔𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗢𝗦

         

Sometimes, amongst all the intrigue, double-dealing and broken promises of our region's politicism, we encounter an unmistakable combination of honesty, skill and kindness.  My friends, Hugh Patterson and Jerry Danache exemplify exactly that.

We dined last night for 2-1/2 hours at Garcia's of Matamoros; sharing stories, personal anecdotes, along with laughter, a good bit of laughter.

Mr. Danache chronicled the wonderful cuisine in photos, as above.

"Old Friends" by Paul Simon

Old friends

Old friends

Sat on their park bench

Like bookends

A newspaper blown through the grass

Falls on the round toes

On the high shoes

Of the old friends

Old friends

Winter companions

The old men

Lost in their overcoats

Waiting for the sunset

The sounds of the city

Sifting through trees

Settle like dust

On the shoulders

Of the old friends

Can you imagine us

Years from today

Sharing a park bench quietly?

How terribly strange

To be seventy

Old friends

Memory brushes the same years

Silently sharing the same fear

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗔 𝗙𝗥𝗢𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗥 𝗔𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗦𝗧𝗔𝗡𝗧 𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗜𝗣𝗔𝗟 𝗔𝗣𝗣𝗥𝗘𝗛𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗘𝗗 𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗡𝗨𝗗𝗘

                                    

Luis Rodolfo Larrazolo

A Brownsville educator has been placed on administrative leave after police say he was caught driving around naked earlier this month.

According to the Brownsville Police Department, officers arrested 44-year-old Luis Rodolfo Larrazolo on October 17 after a concerned citizen reported seeing a man driving naked through the city. Police said Larrazolo allegedly lowered his car window and exposed himself to the person who reported him. He was also accused of engaging in lewd behavior while driving.

Authorities said they identified Larrazolo using a photo and description of his vehicle provided by the witness. Officers later stopped his car and saw him putting on a shirt with his pants unzipped. Larrazolo was taken into custody for indecent exposure and booked into the Brownsville city jail. His bond was set at $2,500.

IDEA Frontier confirmed that Larrazolo was employed as an assistant principal at the charter school’s K–12 Frontier campus at a salary of $79,000 in 2023. The school issued a statement saying the staff member was arrested off campus and has been placed on administrative leave. 

IDEA Frontier said it is cooperating with law enforcement and taking appropriate action according to policy, emphasizing its commitment to the safety and well-being of students and staff. The school declined further comment, citing the ongoing investigation.

𝗗𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗛 𝗢𝗙 𝗖𝗔𝗥𝗟𝗢𝗦 𝗖𝗔𝗦𝗖𝗢𝗦 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗗𝗘𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘 𝗢𝗙 𝗠𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗔𝗡 𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡(𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗛𝗔𝗠) 𝗜𝗠𝗣𝗔𝗖𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗧𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗨𝗦𝗧 𝗢𝗙 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗥𝗢𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗡𝗧𝗬 𝗥𝗘𝗣𝗨𝗕𝗟𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗡 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗬

                 

Old: Carlos Cascos, Tad Hasse, Morgan Eakin, Dagoberto Barrera, Frank Morgan and Roman Perez.  New: Keith Allen, Karl Burkhalter, Mayra Flores, Debra Bell, Robert Sanchez

In my humble view, the loss of Carlos Cascos and the departure of Morgan Eakin (Graham) marked a clear “changing of the guard” within the Cameron County Republican Party, signaling both a symbolic and practical transition in leadership and tone.

Cascos, who passed away in June 2024, was a steady, moderating force within the Rio Grande Valley’s Republican circles. Throughout his career, Cascos emphasized the importance of professionalism, civility, and public service that placed constituents’ needs above partisan gain. 

At nearly the same time, Morgan Eakin (Graham)’s departure from her role as County Chair compounds this transition. Serving from 2015 to 2024, and as a member of the State Republican Executive Committee from 2016 to 2024, Eakin guided the local party for nearly a decade, overseeing candidate recruitment, community outreach, and organizational development. Her move to Austin also closed a significant chapter in the party’s history. 

𝗖𝗢𝗨𝗥𝗧 𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗘𝗧 𝗙𝗢𝗥 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗠𝗘𝗥 𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗔 𝗛𝗜𝗚𝗛 𝗦𝗖𝗛𝗢𝗢𝗟 𝗧𝗘𝗔𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗥/𝗖𝗢𝗔𝗖𝗛 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗚𝗘𝗗 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗦𝗘𝗫𝗨𝗔𝗟 𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗧

                                                       

Julio Ricardo Trujillo

Once again, the trusted walls of a classroom, a place meant for learning, guidance, and safety, have likely been polluted by the repulsive actions of someone who abused his position as teacher and coach to ruin the life of a student.

Former Brownsville ISD teacher and girls’ basketball coach Julio Ricardo Trujillo, 43, is charged with the repulsive crime of having an improper sexual relationship with a student at Rivera Early College High School.

On October 16, Trujillo’s attorney appeared on his behalf for a scheduled hearing. The prosecution and defense agreed to kick the can down the road, resetting the case to November 12 at 8:30 a.m. in the 197th District Court, another delay of justice. 

Trujillo faces three counts of improper relationship between educator and student, each a second-degree felony punishable by up to 20 years in prison. He has, unsurprisingly, pleaded not guilty, despite surveillance footage, text messages, and the victim’s testimony. 

Investigators say the incidents began in April 2025, when Trujillo, then employed as a Criminal Justice teacher (oh, the irony!) and girls’ varsity basketball coach, asked a 19-year-old student to meet him in a classroom. Surveillance video allegedly shows Trujillo waiting by the door like a predator. Minutes later, the student walks in, and soon after, she’s seen leaving the classroom, adjusting her blouse.

Trujillo allegedly texted her afterward: “It finally happened, I loved it even if we had to rush lol.” 

The student later told authorities that Trujillo picked her up after Easter and took her to a park for more alleged sexual acts in his car.

He was arrested on May 15, 2025, following an investigation by the Cameron County DA’s Special Investigations Unit and Brownsville ISD Police. He was booked into jail on a $150,000 bond.

The Brownsville Independent School District  promptly terminated Trujillo’s employment, but the damage to the victim, the school, and the profession, is harder to erase. District officials have also confirmed that other employees from Rivera and Hanna Early College High Schools remain under investigation in related cases, suggesting a deeper rot festering where young people should feel safest.

District Attorney Luis V. Saenz didn’t mince words:

“As educators, we entrust teachers with the profound responsibility of guiding and protecting our students. When that trust is violated, we will act swiftly and decisively.”

Let’s hope so. Because every time a teacher like Trujillo crosses that sacred line, it doesn’t just stain one school, it poisons faith in the entire system.

Trujillo had been "certified" to teach since 2014.

---

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~𝗧𝗜𝗠𝗘 𝗧𝗢 𝗩𝗢𝗧𝗘 "𝗬𝗘𝗦!" 𝗢𝗡 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗜𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 "𝗔" 𝗔𝗡𝗗 "𝗕"

 submitted by Jerry Danache

𝐓𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐔𝐋𝐈𝐏𝐀𝐒 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐍𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐒 "𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐀𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐄𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐒𝐓" 𝐓𝐎 𝐓𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐇 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐃𝐈𝐀 𝐃𝐄 𝐋𝐎𝐒 𝐌𝐔𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐎𝐒

 from Periodico Contacto~October 17, 2025

Seeking to highlight Mexican traditions surrounding the Day of the Dead, the call is aimed at people 20 years of age and older, residents of all Tamaulipas municipalities.

Ciudad Victoria, Tamaulipas.- The State of Tamaulipas, the Tamaulipas DIF System, and the Ministry of Social Welfare, through the Tamaulipas Institute for Culture and the Arts (ITCA), are launching a new edition of the "Catrinas and Catrines Contest," this time focusing on the pride of being from Tamaulipas.

"This contest represents an opportunity to express and disseminate our intangible heritage to all Tamaulipas residents through our traditions as Mexicans. Therefore, committed to Governor Américo Villarreal's vision of honoring our Tamaulipas roots, this time the competition calls for entries to represent that identity through creative characterization," commented ITCA General Director Héctor Romero-Lecanda.

This competition is open to people over 20 years of age who reside in the state. They will be judged on their creativity and originality, makeup and characterization, stage performance, and, of course, their use of elements that identify Tamaulipas, which may include aspects of characters, traditions, clothing, heritage, and nature.

“Tamaulipas is rich in cultural and historical diversity, so we hope people from different municipalities will register, as a way to showcase the rich mosaic of traditions that come together in our territory,” Romero-Lecanda added. 

In addition to participating in one of the most representative cultural events in the capital of Tamaulipas, contestants will be eligible for three prizes: $30,000, $20,000, and $10,000 pesos for first, second, and third place, respectively.

Registration for “Almas Tamaulipecas” must be made at the Directorate of Cultural and Historical Heritage of the Tamaulipas Institute for Culture and the Arts, located in the “Tiempo Nuevo” government building, or online through the form included in the call, which closes on October 26 of this year and is available at the following link: https://tinyurl.com/6mzftsrv and on the ITCA Tamaulipas social media.

𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗪𝗡𝗦𝗩𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗡𝗦 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚: "𝗛𝗘𝗬, 𝗛𝗘𝗬, 𝗛𝗢, 𝗛𝗢, 𝗗𝗢𝗡𝗔𝗟𝗗 𝗧𝗥𝗨𝗠𝗣 𝗛𝗔𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗧 𝗧𝗢 𝗚𝗢!!"

              

On a day when the Winter Texans, who blessed us with their presence starting October 1, are cursing the "damn heat," I'm no better.  Believing the calendar that said it was October 18, I actually took a sport coat with me to the "No Kings" rally held at the corner of Pablo Kisel and Morrison Road, but,  in deference to the heat eminating from the asphalt on a 92F day, I left my coat in the vehicle.  

"Hey hey, ho ho, Donald Trump has got to go" was the chant repeated over and over again by the block-long group standing along Morrison.  But, boys and girls, Trump's not going anywhere.  If 34 felonies, 2 impeachments, a sexual assault conviction, 6 bankruptcies, open disdain for our military and sending $40B to prop up a dictator in Argentina, doesn't awaken Congress to implement the 25th Amendment, neither will a "No Thrones, No Crowns, No Kings" day.  Our country is stuck with Trump and the incompetents of his administration until the next President is inaugurated January 20, 2029.