Anything Happen While I Was Away in Mexico?

I just got back from Mexico, where I’ve been . In small part, this vacation was a test to see whether I could still travel outside the U.S., as the government is newly authorized to revoke the passports of people like me who have more than $50,000 in outstanding taxes.

The government seems to have other things on its agenda as of late than chasing down scofflaws like myself, however. I had no trouble using my passport. On the other hand, this policy is new, and my overdue taxes only recently topped the $50,000 threshold, so it might just be a matter of time.

In part, my visit was also meant to see whether or not craft beer has finally taken off in Mexico. As of my 2010 visit, it hadn’t, really. I’m happy to report that it finally has. I found a large variety of styles of microbrews from many breweries available in many restaurants and even in a couple of convenience stores.

I didn’t bring my laptop along, but was able to tap in to the news from time to time with my phone and to follow along with delight as the U.S. government continues its headlong rush into disrepute. As the icing on the cake, Chelsea Manning was finally released.

While I was away, NWTRCC held its Spring national gathering. Read all about it at the NWTRCC blog.

Also, for what it’s worth, while I was out I got a routine letter from the IRS complaining that I hadn’t paid my taxes for , and adding small amounts of penalties and interest (about $31) to the total.