tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-109908302008-07-23T15:26:16.243-03:00Team Good Airshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03415898744410787600noreply@blogger.comBlogger317125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-10487154761904808112008-07-17T22:47:00.002-03:002008-07-17T23:00:59.972-03:00

Not surprisingly, after last night's marathon Argentine Senate session and rejection of the Presidenta's tax plan by a tie-splitting vote against her by her Vice President Julio Cobos (just imagine Cheney doing that to Bush), today's blogs were filled with plenty a comic/sarcastic/cutting image of Cobos. Like, say, the one above, thanking him for showing some huevos (if you know what I mean).

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-81579285448618812102008-07-10T15:52:00.002-03:002008-07-10T15:57:25.377-03:00

Up they go! Taxi prices go up again, today at midnight. The new costs? Up 22.5% to 3.80 pesos to get into a cab and 38 centavos for every 200 meters or minute waiting (the old prices: 3.10 and 31 centavos). When we got here in May 2005 it cost 1.60 pesos to get in, which makes the three year increase, oh, 138%. Luckily, inflation is not a problem (said in the same tone as, "These are not the

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-2887484849140750302008-07-05T10:52:00.002-03:002008-07-05T11:15:49.190-03:00

Yesterday evening, we here at GoodAirs had the pleasure of having a classic 4th of July (we'll, except for being in Buenos Aires) with Yanqui Mike and the folks of Democrats Abroad Argentina. Hotdogs were eaten, Budweiser drunk,and much celebration was made of this being G.W.B.'s final July 4th as President. The location: Le Merval, a bar named after the Buenos Aires stock exchange where the

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-45761200231284087112008-07-03T23:03:00.002-03:002008-07-03T23:57:05.265-03:00

This man appears to be American; the Starbucks, however, is in Argentina (Notice the "Please use exact change/We have no coins" sign?) Just when a boy starts to get tired of the campo striking, Cristina screaming, no one listening, and smoke wafting in from the north--the apocolypse as farce--the director of the Jardín Botánico, Carlos Cosentino, manages to get himself fired when it comes to

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-35735958257204241752008-06-11T10:56:00.003-03:002008-06-11T11:50:11.831-03:00

At this story: Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL) has applied for permission from the US Department of Transportation to introduce a new nonstop service between New York's John F Kennedy International Airport and Buenos Aires, Argentina. The airline is planning to launch flights on the route in December this year, offering five flights per week through to April and then four per week during the rest of

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-65126259366371486442008-06-09T22:55:00.004-03:002008-06-09T23:09:57.580-03:00

Poor Martin Lousteau. The young (37) economist accepted the job of a lifetime--that of Argentina's economics minister--only to find that it was thankless and apparently powerless. He put into place the country's program of mobile export taxes, only to see it inspire a wide-ranging farm strike. Then, his attempts to negotiate with the farm sector were undercut by ministers loyal to the

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-69015524408275865102008-06-08T13:43:00.003-03:002008-06-08T14:04:12.643-03:00

We just got back from Peru and I've got pictures to prove it. Machu Picchu with child was actually a joy. No, we didn't do the four-day hike of the Incan Trail nor did we even make it to the top of the nearby montaña Machu Picchu we tackled. But we got plenty of exercise, were inspired and actually enjoyed the running commentary of our 20-month-old son. (It went something like this: "Mama! Ave!

cintrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12567155751399681622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-11821866034000752612008-05-14T10:24:00.003-03:002008-05-14T10:29:25.396-03:00

In the category of "Vaguely Interesting News You Didn't Know You Might Care About," it appears that Los Kirchner have moved from Rio Gallegos to El Calefate, and the move was videoed and uploaded to YouTube. See their chairs! Ogle their mattress! It's just too much for one boy to take in. If you need more, here's a Crítica article on the move.

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-89464031287022255112008-05-08T13:00:00.000-03:002008-05-08T13:01:05.122-03:00

Foto: DYN via Perfil Around 3 pm yesterday, a truck carrying 200 tons of lemons lost its load. Thousands of lemons rained down from the elevated highway 9 de Julio (at San Juan Ave). No one was hurt. But the pile of lemons left in the accident's wake proved too tempting to onlookers. Authorities tried to ward off the fruitophiles, but when an automated shovel on wheels (I don't know the proper

cintrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12567155751399681622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-32247182673979189732008-04-22T10:31:00.002-03:002008-04-22T14:06:10.242-03:00

Los Kirchner It's a bit like watching old boxers fight. That's the image that comes to mind. Old boxers. Fascinating for curiosity's sake, the sight of two aged pugilists putting their thickening bodies through the fighter's ballet at half speed. Of course it's sad too. I'm not talking about boxers, not really. I'm talking of cold warriors; the boxing image came to mind as I read a recent

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-28359381457277371292008-04-17T10:48:00.003-03:002008-04-17T11:17:46.597-03:00

What's the weather forecast for today? Same as yesterday: Smoky. (Left, a nice little icon on weather.com sums it up.) Last night, at about 3AM or so, our smoke detector went off. Our apartment smelled just like we forgot to open the flue to our fireplace... if we had a fireplace, which we don't. Actually, the scarier reference point I have is with the smoky aftermath of September 11 in downtown

cintrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12567155751399681622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-33221017193810755482008-04-16T00:19:00.002-03:002008-04-16T00:38:57.675-03:00

Censorship's just not what it used to be. When word got out that an upcoming Simpsons episode suggested that Untouchable Hero Juan Perón was a dictator who 'disappeared' people, Lorenzo Pepe, a former congressional deputy and now secretary general of the National Institute of Juan Peron, asked that the episode be banned (articles: 1, 2, 3, 4). The offending dialogue: Moe: "Who wants to abolish

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-29930442534759864872008-04-13T12:43:00.005-03:002008-04-13T12:50:54.919-03:00

As we're making snarky fashion critiques of Cristina anyway, we couldn't resist scanning this faux advert when we came across it in Perfil. Fabulous slogan at the bottom right (in case you can't read it): "Tu culo en sus manos."

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-17800105950085079302008-04-09T18:15:00.006-03:002008-04-09T23:05:28.934-03:00

Tax evasion central: The Santa Bárbara "Country" Perhaps echoing piquetero rock star Luis D'Elía's visceral hatred of the rich palefaces in the northern suburbs--or, actually, probably just doing there jobs--the head tax collector of Buenos Aires province, Santiago Montoya, and the mayor of Tigre, Sergio Massa, have used satellite imagery to bust tax-evaders in the zona norte gated "country"

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-89705618302147133062008-04-09T00:12:00.003-03:002008-04-09T00:37:35.574-03:00

Presidenta fashion face off! Covering the important news (as we do at this hardhitting investigative blog), today we point you to an article in today's Perfil covering Reina Cristina's propensity for Madonna-like multiple daily outfit changes. Specifically, the article notes that in 48 hours Cristina went through as many outfits as Presidents Bachelet (Chile) and Merkel (Germany) go through in a

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-89224060529062059952008-04-04T10:35:00.002-03:002008-04-04T10:55:21.246-03:00

A Brand New Car! Not that I would entrapolate this behaviour to her political maneuverings in the Pink House, but after traditional parenting techniques failed in Presidenta Cristina's attempts to get her daughter Florencia (AKA Florkey) to stop posting revealing photos on her flog, Noticias reports that the Presidenta bribed her with a new Mini Cooper to stop the postings. True or not, the

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-34114289885754270452008-04-02T16:16:00.002-03:002008-04-02T16:25:19.733-03:00

Well, at least the campo strike has been called off for 30 days. As part of getting to that point, however, interior commerce secretary Guillermo Moreno supposedly sent police to feed lots to demand that cows be put on trucks to be sent to slaughterhouses (the well known government enforcer apparently threatened the feed lot owners hours before); according to Bloomberg News, Argentine grain

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-31001575751572062872008-04-01T15:47:00.003-03:002008-04-03T15:29:48.101-03:00

I'm still laughing... Comedy Update: In the controversy that keeps on giving, actor/radio host/wacky guy Fernando Peña wrote a hilarious open letter to Cristina in Crítica after K-allied thuglet Luis D'Elía told him, on his show, that he hated white people, blond people, people with cars, people with money, people who lived in the Zona Norte, etc. The gist of the letter: Cristina should make

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-71571178445829352822008-04-01T11:01:00.007-03:002008-04-01T12:35:36.534-03:00

On a rainy day last week, we stopped by Vallecito in San Juan Province to see the homages thanking the deceased (la difunta) Correa for many miracles. Evidently, those miracles include new homes, new trucks, horse-racing victories, marriages... I couldn't stop snapping photos of the outpourings of devotion. (A few more found here.) According to the popular legend, the deceased Señora Correa's

cintrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12567155751399681622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-23707237245608870202008-03-31T23:20:00.005-03:002008-04-01T08:51:55.411-03:00

An empty meat display in Palermo (SOURCE: La Nación) We’ve been away for a week, traipsing about the stark beauty San Juan and La Rioja, and in our brief absence it seems that our adopted home has reached the end of days. Beef shortages in Argentina?! That's a modern sign of the Apocalypse. What’s next: a condescension shortage in Paris? A lack of binge dringing in London? The mind reels at the

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-47146281316505550982008-03-31T14:22:00.004-03:002008-03-31T20:34:19.353-03:00

Democrats Abroad in San Telmo Friend of GoodAirs (a FOGA, if you will) Yanqui Mike has, along with his better half, 99, been kickin' up some dust for years now with his wondefully cantankerous website; recently he's been doing so with more focused ends by launching, with several other Buenos Aires expats, the Argentina branch of Democrats Abroad (a group for, well, Democrats abroad). We had the

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-48734711512291701052008-03-23T15:58:00.003-03:002008-03-23T16:22:28.316-03:00

Reina Cristina In the 100 days since Cristina Fernández de Kirchner succeeded her husband in the December 10 ceremony pictured above, not a lot has gone as she presumably hoped. Despite all the predictions the Cristina would project a kinder, gentle and more internationalist face on the world stage and ease back from her husband's closeness with Hugo Chavez, her first experience as president was

Ianhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13226528619546192091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-80239642293008173082008-03-20T13:27:00.003-03:002008-03-20T16:25:42.178-03:00

Tomorrow, March 21, marks the third anniversary of Roddy's death. It will also be the fourth anniversary of my grandmother Mary Wardle's death and Henry Emiliano's completion of 1.5 years of life. Whew. (Rod, below, in the white shoes, cool and composed) A lot has happened in three years. I'm thinking of the weddings of Kerry+Cristina, Chuck+Holly and Ana+Nate, for example, and the births of,

cintrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12567155751399681622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-2203397814951970152008-03-12T02:59:00.002-02:002008-03-12T03:05:09.040-02:00

There's only one time you say, "to school!" when most say "back to school." Yes, earlier today, Henry Emiliano Mount attended his first scholarly session, just around the corner from us. I know, he didn't really need a backpack yet, but it's convenient for spare diapers and such. (Full disclosure: It's an arts-only program for the 18-month old set.) In preparation for this huge step in his life,

cintrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12567155751399681622noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10990830.post-39583343451340595312008-03-11T17:30:00.001-02:002008-03-12T01:51:26.588-02:00

GoodAirs got a nice note from Brian Winter, a former reporter for Reuters who lived in Buenos Aires from 2000 to 2004 (interesting times). He thought we might be interested in his travelogue/memoir of that four-year period called Long After Midnight at the Niño Bien: A Yanqui's Missteps in Argentina–-just out March 3 (Public Affairs Books). I like expat memoirs, in general. I enjoyed Miranda

cintrahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12567155751399681622noreply@blogger.com