Winter is always a great time to book next years cruises and summer vacations. Problem with that is you don’t get paid until next summer – right?

Travel Weekly just might have an answer for you over the next two days as they host another virtual trade show right on you computer that highlights Winter Escapes with a impressive collection of industry leaders, training sessions and trade show exhibitors.

Travel Weekly’s editor in chief, Arnie Weissmann will once again head up the next two days. This IS his baby after all, and he’s done an impressive job in finding relevant topics and suppliers who you can actually learn from in the travel industry. The show is free to attend, and you can still register from this link and make it to this event. Login details will be sent to you via email.

If you’ve been around the industry for a while, you’ll recognize some familiar names below with companies and associations who are known for offering great insight and solutions for anyone who is willing to learn.

Here’s a list of auditorium sessions from Travel Weekly’s Registration page.

A Conversation with CLIA Chairman Rick Sasso - Tuesday, Sept 21, 1 p.m
Travel Weekly Editor in Chief Arnie Weissmann will discuss the outlook for the winter cruising season with Rick Sasso, Chairman of CLIA and President and CEO of MSC Cruises. The two will discuss new ships and itineraries, CLIA predictions for winter cruising, what will motivate clients to book for the winter, and how the winter cruise client differs from summer cruisers. It’s an interactive session, and attendees will also be able to share their thoughts and questions with Sasso in this live conversation.

Unexpected Opportunities in the 2011 Winter Season - Tuesday, Sept 21, 2:30 p.m
The economic outlook is uncertain, but 2011 holds some unique opportunities for travelers, agents and suppliers alike. Join Travel Weekly Editor in Chief Arnie Weissmann; Brad Anderson, Co-President of America’s Vacation Center/Avoya Travel; Vicki Freed, Senior Vice President, Royal Caribbean International; Milton Hugh, Senior Vice President of Viking River Cruises and Tim Mullen, Senior Vice President, Apple Vacations as they explore what might make this season unexpectedly robust. You, too, will have a chance to interact, live, with the panelists.

Experience Starwood’s Travel Professional Program, Presented by Chris Austin – Tuesday, Sept. 21, 4:00 p.m.
Are you a Starwoodpro? Join Chris Austin, vice president of global retail, leisure and luxury sales for Starwood Hotels & Resorts and find out how you can become a Starwoodpro. Austin will take you on a virtual tour of the company’s travel professional website, www.starwoodpro.com. New for 2010 Starwood is adding destination modules to its ProLearning platform. Austin will share some of the highlights of all the available modules, explain how you can earn access to Starwood’s lowest travel professional rates, and highlight all the resources Starwood has created for it travel professional partners through starwoodpro.com.

A Conversation With USTOA & NTA Leaders – Wednesday, Sept. 22, 1 p.m.
Winter touring is a bit different from summer — different destinations, different booking windows, different itinerary lengths. Find out what how to more effectively sell winter tours with Travel Weekly Editor in Chief Arnie Weissmann, John Stachnik, Chairman of the United States Tour Operators Association and Lisa Simon, President of the National Tour Association. . Together these leaders represent the lionshare of the travel industry’s vacation package and escorted tour market. Attendees will be able to ask their questions as well in this interactive session.

Grow your business with cutting edge online tools, Presented by Debbie Maier, President, Mailpound - Wednesday, Sept. 22, 2:30 p.m.
This session will share online solutions designed to grow your cruise business. Learn how to utilize free online tools to send targeted marketing pieces to your network of clients. Do you use Facebook? Learn how to easily post consumer friendly offers on your Facebook page. Whether your client is new to cruising or is a seasoned cruiser, enhance your communications with your clients and prospective clients with personalized, custom eFlyers and eBrochures.

Finally A Social Media Solution For Travel Agents, Presented by Marilyn Macallair, Passport Online Inc. - Wednesday, Sept 22, 4:00 p.m.
Introducing Agent SociaLink… the newest most innovative means for travel agents to enter and stay in the Social Media space. To compete these days you MUST be using some social media tools. Passport Online has created Agent SociaLink to help agents populate their travel agent social media sites using a clickable database of content. The new tool provides content from a variety of sources allowing agents to pick and choose information to add to social media outlets including Twitter, Blogs and Facebook. See it live and hear about agents who are already using Agent SociaLink.

As you can see, there’s something for everyone and it’s a great way to learn and grow as a Travel Professional. Two days of education, new product introductions and even prizes that will be awarded throughout the show.

So go ahead and register. If this one’s anything like the shows from years past – you’ll be glad you did.

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Every challenge comes with an opportunity to learn and grow. Smart people and good companies take full advantage of such an opportunity while others – well…not so much.

Carnival has been an interesting “case study” over the last few years. The various challenges the with rising fuel prices and the eventual recession that followed keeping more people at home, Carnival has managed to handle the adversity very well with a willingness to make tough choices, and the ability to rethink and transform their operations to streamline their business and continue to turn a profit.

Automation has played a key roll in Carnival’s transformation and ability to remain “The Most Popular Cruise Line in the World”. It’s not that you couldn’t book and manage clients through Carnival’s agent portal prior, but much of the “call center” activities that lingering old timers have known for years is now gone. (And they’re visibly upset – as usual.)

Early Saver, Pack & Go and Interline Rates have been handled via automation for a while now. Resident Rates, Senior Promotions, Military Rates and Travel Agent Cruise Sales recently went into automation mode August 1st. With so many new features now handled online only, Carnival decided to streamline their Agent Portal for ease of use with a totally new agent portal called GoCCL.com.

GoCCL was created with the Agent in mind, making it easier-to-navigate, more information than ever before, and it’s even Google-search-powered. The end result helps agents speed up the sales process along with some innovative and creative tools to help market to clients and prospects.

Carnival focused on these key areas:

• Improved design and organization – Carnival took all the constructive feedback and designed GoCCL.com around the concept that the right tool is only one-click away. You’ll always be ready when your customer is.
• The right information – when you need it. Now, there’s no more searching around the portal for information you need. GoCCL.com features a completely redesigned Resource Center that gives you lightning-fast access to a comprehensive library of sales programs and product information. Finding the right link is a breeze with GoCCL’s Google-powered search engine.
• Booking Tools – Create and manage reservations, access FunShipPay and verify Guest Document Status.
• Marketing Tools – It’s the one-stop place for all of your marketing needs, including the updated Ad Wizard, eBrochures, Collateral Ordering Tool, Brand Center, Fun Itineraries – as well as our Carnival Fun Tees!
• Training – Explore informative training videos, exclusive Webinars and learn more about how to advance your business at CCL University. You can also browse schedules and register for executive conferences, exciting shipboard events and our signature “Funtastic” Fam Weekends.
• Resource Center – This is the place to get all the information you need. You’ll find Carnival news and updates, FAQs, forms and policies, and Carnival products and program details. Be sure to check out our value-packed Knowledge Center: a great reference resource with facts about Carnival procedures, ship and port information – and much more.
• Specials – Get the scoop on Carnival specials, Early Saver fares, promotional programs, featured specials and other great deals for your clients.
• News and Alerts – The home page news ticker displays Carnivals latest news and important advisories and remains visible throughout the site.

The GoCCL portal is a state-of-the-art sales and marketing tool that will not only keep Carnival number one, but possibly widen the gap as new agents embrace the technology that’s available today. From the looks of it, it will make sales and marketing faster, easier, and more powerful than ever before.

If you look back over this blog and all the articles we’ve written about Carnival over the years, you’ll see that change is in fact a good thing. It’s not about being broken or unproductive – it’s about tweaking and moving forward in today’s fast paced and information rich environment with more opportunities than ever before. Reminds me of another “business model” that’s near and dear to our hearts. (And we’ve documented plenty about THAT topic here too!)

So go check out GoCCL.com. I think you’ll like the upgrade once you come aboard!

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Yes, you read that right – it’s not some sort of typo. (Which I’ve “heard” I’ve been known to make. ;-P)

I hope you were paying attention to our newsletter earlier this spring when we promoted the Viking webniars and trainings. It’s going to come in mighty handy when talking to clients and booking this very profitable niche.

I’m not a big fan of river cruises personally. (More of an ocean going cruiser myself if I had my choice.) However, my parents truly enjoy this type of cruise experience, and have booked several river cruises with BandBVacations.

What makes this type of cruise experience attractive is the constant scenery change and the historical significance many of the ports of call provide.

Viking announced this week that they will be paying commissions on every part of their cruise experience. As a result that means more money for you as an agent. Kind of sounds backwards after all these years I know, but it’s true!

Therefore, it would be wise to offer up Viking as a viable option when this type of experience is selected.

One word of caution however: Because you’re part of an MLM, you can’t promote Viking as an option ethically.

Say what?!

Sorry, but it’s one of those double standards that we have to put up with because of the fears, phobias and illusions our traditional agents have about us. We only do it for the money – we’re not looking after the best interest of our client.

See, last year I made the “mistake” of writing about how I tend to promote lines that offer better commissions over others. If all other things are equal, I’ll most certainly offer something that pays a higher commission as a result. It’s just smart business.

Not everyone understands “business” however, and I went round and round in the comments section of this post with a commenter who just couldn’t grasp that concept because it’s MLM, not traditional business. Traditional Agents picked up on it as well, and laid claim that I wasn’t looking out for the best interest of my clients.

Now that the shoe is on the other foot however, it appears that “travel agents” don’t have a problem “promoting” one line over another.

Very strange how that works – but it’s just another example of the double standards we have to put up with in order to keep these myths and rumors about MLM being something less than legitimate alive in their own minds. It creates drama and controversy for them, which keeps them from looking at their own shortcomings.

Like I’ve said many times over, the truth always has a way of coming to light. ;-P

Anyway – this is a really good deal from Viking, and found the Press Release here:

LOS ANGELES (June 8, 2010) – Viking River Cruises, the world’s leading river cruise line, today announced that effective June 9, 2010, it will implement a new, industry-leading commission structure: Viking will pay commission on every aspect of a client’s booking—from cruise and air to shore excursions, port charges, taxes, fees, travel protection plans and more. With a decade-long tradition of innovation, Viking River Cruises now leads the travel industry—including its river cruise competitors and all ocean cruise lines—with the trade’s only fully commissionable program.

“This unprecedented commission policy was developed with input from leaders in the travel agency community, and it is very simple,” comments Torstein Hagen, Chairman of Viking River Cruises. “If an agent sells a Viking River Cruises itinerary, they earn a commission on all of it. Our partners will be paid for everything they sell.”

In addition, to the industry-exclusive payment on air, port charges, taxes and fees, Viking will offer many other commissionable upgrades—such as Premium Economy or Business Class air upgrades, beverage packages, gift orders and more—to make the most out of the guests’ river cruise experience while increasing the agents’ profit from the reservation. Unlike other river and ocean cruise lines, there are no exceptions. The new commission program will apply to all new 2010 and 2011 bookings, and Viking will continue to pay commissions 29 days prior to departure.

There you have it folks – a vendor who actually wants your business by offering you more commissions. What a concept!

Like I said, it’s a great little niche when you find the right clients who enjoy this type of cruising experience. Profitable, and very easy to service.

Keep up to date with our newsletter, we’ll keep an eye out for more trainings from Viking to help you get up to speed if need be.

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One of the most forward thinking and innovative suppliers in the Travel industry in my opinion is Carnival Cruise Lines. They were one of the first to embrace YTB in the early days, and haven’t been swayed by myths or phobias surrounding the Network Marketing industry. It’s just “business” – and they don’t get caught up in the drama. YTB has consistently produced sales for the cruise line which in part enables the line to maintain their distinction as “Most Popular Cruise Line in the World.”

In another innovative move – Carnival will be launching a “cash back” promotion next Monday (June 7th) of up to $160 per stateroom with a variety of cruises through February 2011.

While I’m sure YTB  would like to take credit for this promotion which currently provides “cash back” through ZamZuu, Carnival designed the program on their own to entice more people to book cruises.  Saving money is still a big hot button these days, and they’ve found a way to capture what’s hot. By offering “cash back” in amounts ranging from $80 per stateroom to $160 per stateroom via a shipboard credit, the hope is that it will tip the scales in Carnivals favor over other cruises offered during this time.

Cash back amounts are based on cruise length and can be redeemed on board during the cruise for a variety of options and amenities. If by chance you don’t use your allotted amount – you’ll get a check at the end of your cruise.

Credits will be offered starting on 3-day and longer cruises and include the Caribbean, Bahamas and Mexico from 15 convenient departing ports in the US.

The “Cash Back” details are as follows:

• $40 per person (max $80 p/stateroom) on select 3-, 4- & 5-day sailings
• $80 per person (max $160 /stateroom) on select 6-day or longer sailings

The shipboard credit is automatically applied on guests’ Sail & Sign accounts when they board their cruise and can be redeemed toward shore excursions, spa treatments, gift shop items and a variety of other shipboard purchases. Any unused funds at the end of the cruise will be returned to guests on debarkation day in the form of a check.

The new promotion is capacity controlled and applies to new individual bookings for category 4A and higher. Bookings have to be made between June 7 and June 30, 2010 to qualify for the promotion and it is valid with the “Fun Select” advance purchase discount fares. Guests must request fare code OCB when making the reservation.

The Cash Back promotion will be promoted nationally via TV commercials and local radio spots as well as through a direct-response TV spot. I suspect it will also be a very hot topic during tomorrow nights YTB Travel Network webinar with Ann Sedgwick. (For YTB Travel Network Agents only.)

If you happen to be on our newsletter, you already know how to register for this webinar, and I highly suggest that you get yourself registered. If you’re not on our newsletter – shame on you! (Get yourself registered now.) In the meantime, if you don’t have the info to get on this, send a support ticket to the home office through your back office and they’ll get you the hooked up with the webinar tomorrow night.

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During my second full year with YTB, the company launched what was known as a Regional Travel Training. The tour hit several of the major markets around the country where vendors and suppliers came to us, instead of requiring us to come to them. At the time, YTB had grown to a size that enabled suppliers to hit strategic cities in conjunction with YTB to offer information, support, and additional training for the field.

I remember sitting in the large audience at the time, taking notes, and thinking that YTB was well on its way to being a major player in the travel industry. It’s not that vendors don’t do this kind of training for other large Host Agencies, they do. But they don’t do it for just any Agency. (Maybe a BDM would, but not the President of the Company.)

The trainings inspired me to research more about the companies that spoke during the day and what they had to offer. I left with new tools and ideas on how to promote my travel business. Because of the training put together, I knew YTB was serious and I needed to get serious. It tools were always there, I just needed to take the time to go do it.

What also impressed me during that day was how excited the suppliers were about being with us. I’ve seen it for years. YTB happens to be a real breath of fresh air for most suppliers because of our passion and excitement. I remember seeing a vendor just last year up at Red Carpet who just raved about our Company. I believe the exact words were “Completely blown away”. It was such a shame to see that sour because Travel Professionals couldn’t accept the partnership. Anyone who actually catches our enthusiasm and passion are soon trashed by this group who’ve never seen or experienced the passion or enthusiasm they see when it comes to travel.

Remember Robert Dickinson? If you don’t, I sure do. (Wrote about it here.) That was another example of someone who saw the vision of YTB and was excited about being on YTB’s Board of Directors only to suddenly “decline” less than 24 hours later.

Regardless of the number of times I’ve seen individuals or companies pressured or harassed to drop YTB there are companies who see the fears and phobias that traditionalists have about MLM’s and support us anyway. (They’re just a little quieter about it publicly to keep from being spit at.)

If you want to know more about how vendors really feel about our company, go watch some of the videos in the Media Center in your back office. (Sorry, you’ll need to log in to see it.)

Or, you can show up at one of this year’s Travel Training Roadshows that kicks off this weekend in Costa Mesa, California.

President and Founder Kim Sorensen will be hitting cities, including here in Atlanta later in March, to offer travel training from some of the industries most respected suppliers in the travel industry. It’s your opportunity to see for yourself why suppliers and vendors appreciate YTB Travel Network, and why we as a company should support them. They’ve all got some great product and the proper tools to help you succeed in the travel industry.

The biggest advantage I’ve found in Regional meetings like this is more face time with the vendors. Funshine is great, but it’s also very crowded. With the country split up into regions there are fewer people, giving you a better opportunity to ask questions, get additional information and develop relationships. Heck, I ran into one of the supplier from the first Regional Training a year or more later and she remembered who I was.

Check your travel portal for cities, dates, vendors and times and make one of these roadshows this spring with YTB. I can tell you from personal experience, it inspires me to this day when I get around other passionate travel agents with a hunger to learn and grow their business.

It’s there for those who want it – and I know plenty who want to build this side of their business.

So go out and get it – starting this weekend.

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Since day one with YTB, I’ve considered myself a “Travel Agent”. Not because I had any special training, achieved any special credentials, or aligned myself with any specific host. It was an attitude that I had when I joined. I was about as green as they came when I joined YTB, but I did have a passion for travel and a desire to learn that got me to the point that I am today. I’ve heard over and over that unless I align myself with one of those legitimate hosts out there, that I’d never be considered a “Travel Agent”.

Yet, the folks with all the arrogance and attitude – haven’t actually experienced the service and value I bring to my clients.

Fact is, anyone can become a “Travel Agent” with the proper mindset and willingness to learn and it doesn’t matter what company you align yourself with. Other than my family, 99.9% of our clients have no idea who or what YTB is. All they know is Doug and Ronda with BandBVacations.com. If a client has a change in schedule, a problem with a booking, or happen to need assistance with arrangements, the “Agent” they call is us, not the Home Office.

That being said, having the mindset of “Travel Agent” isn’t going to cut the mustard when it comes to servicing our clients. We could have all the love and passion in the world – but without the proper knowledge to actually assist our clients, mindset alone is moot.

It also takes knowledge and training to drive this business and make it a success.

When YTB launched the E-Campus training two years ago with theAcademy.com and Dr. Marc Mancini, I was ecstatic. At the time, it was a major advancement and move towards training our sales force. The move was also “pro-active”, being launched before all the attention and fuss in the news and media publications came out about YTB being some sort of “card mill”. (A term and definition we still don’t answers for two years later.)

Like Carnival Corporation, Apple Vacations, Pleasant Holidays, Collette, World Choice, Globus, and other preferred suppliers who do business with YTB, Dr. Mancini saw something in YTB that lead to this training to help the company achieve its long term goal of being a dominant force in the travel industry.

If you’re going to partner with someone, they might as well be the best. Here’s a little bio that I picked up on Dr. Mancini two years ago.

What’s even more impressive is that the YTB E-Campus program is designed by Dr. Marc Mancini, one of the travel industry’s most highly respected speakers, educators and consultants and authors of such books as Conducting Tours: A Practical Guide, Cruising: A Guide to the Cruise Line Industry, and Selling Destinations: Geography for the Travel Professional. Dr Mancini and his firm are the creative force behind some of the best-known and most successful training programs in the business including training programs for CLIA, AAA, and NTA.

What YTB did was land the industries leading authority in travel to design and implement a very intensive and thorough training program that covers the following 10 segments.

• Course 101: Overview of the Travel Industry
• Course 102: Lodging
• Course 103: Tours / Groups
  
• Course 104: Cruising
  
• Course 105: Air Travel
  
• Course 106: Rail, Car Rentals and the Rest
  
• Course 107: Travel Sales, Service and Marketing
  
• Course 108: Destinations: North and South America
  
• Course 109: Destinations: Europe
  
• Course 110: Destinations: Africa, Asia and the South Pacific

And for doing what we as “Travel Agents” should do for our business and completing this course, what do you think YTB did to reward those who took their travel business seriously?

• The ability to drop the “R” from RTA and the title of “Travel Agent”
  
• 75% Commission Contract
  
• Monthly YTB Special Promotions
  
• Entry For A Free Cruise
  
• Exclusive YTB FAM Trips
  
• Training Events & Trade Show (Funshine was comped)
  
• The Fun & Travel Magazine to help you grow your business
  

Not too shabby for some rinky-dink MLM that has no interest in Travel huh? Fact is, those who claim YTB doesn’t offer training haven’t been paying attention to the facts. Instead, they choose to ignore any type of training to keep their fantasy over YTB being less than legitimate alive.

We posted a list of those who completed the E-Campus training this past weekend in our newsletter. If you’re a YTB TSO or Rep and you’d like a listing to view, please get signed up on our list. I don’t think it’s appropriate to post this list publicly. With all the attention and animosity from a very small and childish group in the travel industry who have nothing better to do it will simply create more spin and turn this significant accomplishment into something it’s not.

For those who did complete this training, you know who you are. You know the value of knowledge and learning. I commend you for taking responsibility and ownership of your travel business. You can now not only call yourself “Travel Agent”, but earn an above average commission percentage found in the industry. (Industry average being 74%.)

Congratulations!

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A couple months ago I read an article that compared Travel Agents to Doctors. With the Swine Flu scare that has hit both the US and Mexico I can’t imagine anyone calling a Travel Agent about what they should do to prevent the spread of this virus. To me it’s like calling an electrician to come unclog your stopped up sink. However, if you need advice from an Agent concerning the swine flu, I do know an RTA who is also an RN up in the Bronx. She’s the only Agent I would trust with actual medical training to help in the prevention of this area. (Otherwise I would simply go to a Doctor.) I realize there are Traditional Agents who claim to be authorities in just about any area you could think of.

If you choose to call a Travel Agent concerning advice, please ask for some type of credentials that qualify them as someone who knows squat about the spread of this virus. Personally, I think a someone with medical training would be far more appropriate, but that’s just me.

I contacted Gail last night to ask permission to re-post since she’s the only Agent I know who is actually qualified to offer advice in this area as an RN.

Mexico, the Swine Flu and Travel

The Swine Flu was a hot topic at work today with my co-workers and my patients. As I nurse I am doing double duty addressing the medical issues and the Travel side of this public health issue with friends and family. There has been 103 confirmed deaths in Mexico as of this writing . There are 44 confirmed cases in the US, which are milder than the strain found in Mexico. 28 of them are in New York isolated to a school in Queens, NY. World Health Organization elevated the Pandemic alert to Phase 4 out of 6.  So of course every time someone sneezed in our facility they came over to “Nurses’ Row” My office is in the Bronx which is just over the bridge from Queens.

Ah…. Let the fun begin!

Its important to note that this Swine flu operates as any other flu and the same precautions should be taken to prevent its spread. I have heard and read some interesting concepts about the flu. Like it came from eating Pork, or from people having un-natural relations with Pigs, which is also a myth. So lets begin with:

What is the Swine Flu?

It is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by an influenza (flu) virus. Most people do not realize that animals get illnesses that are also common to humans, like diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Yes the flu. Human cases of Swine flu occur around people who are around pigs. It can also pass from person to person. This strain of Swine flu also has bird flu and human flu genes.

How do you catch swine flu and is it Contagious?

Swine flu is spread by contact with infected pigs or their surrounding area that has been contaminated with Swine flu viruses.. Also spread by contact with a person who has been infected with the Swine flu. It is considered contagious which simply means it can be spread from person to person.

How Can We Prevent spreading the Swine Flu

* Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
* Cough or sneeze in the bend of your el bow if you do not have a tissue available
* Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand cleaners, like Purel are also effective.
* Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
* stay home from work or school if you become ill with the Swine Flu. Pleeeeeese!!!!
* limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
*Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. That is how Germs are spread.

What should I do if I get sick?

If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others. Contact your doctor. You may be prescribed an anti-viral medication such as Tamiflu or Relenza which can lessen the severity of the flu.

I planned a Trip to Mexico, Should I cancel it?

Many people are asking if they should change their travel plans. The US is planning on issuing a Travel Alert for non-essential travel to Mexico. This is the perfect scenario to emphasize the importance of purchasing Travel Insurance. This is the type of situation that it is very useful in.
So far No cruises to Mexico have been canceled. For example, Carnival Cruise line offered this on their site:

“Fortunately, there currently is no evidence of a swine flu pandemic and there have been no reports of guests exhibiting symptoms of swine flu on Carnival’s ships. Carnival enforces the highest of standards for cleaning and sanitation on all of our ships to prevent the spread of infectious diseases. We are monitoring the situation in Mexico and maintain regular contact with the Centers for Disease Control. We do not anticipate that our guests’ cruise experience will be impacted by this type of illness and will not be making any adjustments to our itineraries.”

No Airline flights have been canceled. Some airlines are offering passengers to change their travel plans without penalty. Other airlines are offering to reschedule flights and/or travel plans at no extra charge. This may change day to day. Check with your airlines for their policy, or the travel agent you booked with.

Information is changing and evolving daily. Check at the CDC.Gov site for the most up to date information on Travel to Mexico and the effect that the Swine Flu may have on it.

In the meantime, lets pray for Mexico. Its been a difficult year for our neighbors to the South.

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