Okay, both Bonnie and Bud brought up the publication dates, I've got a 2011 edition and it appears that there's a 2018 edition available. 

The $64,000 question.....

What's the law if any regarding what edition you must carry in your vehicle?  Are there any penalties for possessing old editions?

I would suspect that Mr. Woolford knows or can obtain that answer.

4 hours ago, Bonnie said:

 

I'm in the local pharmacies and Arrocha on a regular basis and have never seen them. Do you recall in what area?

Bonnie,

When I purchased my book five years ago the only store that stocked them in Boquete was Mandarin.  They were located in the back of store in a glass display case by the cash register.  It was $8 or $10 if I recall.  At that time I couldn't even find one on via Espana in Panama City in El Cangrejo other than an expanded much larger book including the history of Panama for $20.  I didn't want to lug that around in my glove compartment.

On 11/17/2017 at 7:48 AM, JudyS said:

This has been on the news today.  Also financed by Mexican drug cartels and other low lifes. 

Trump Ocean Club, a laundromat of washed money.  Though the Trump family said they only licensed their name and have nothing to do with it, they are making money on it.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/panama-tower-carries-trump-s-name-ties-organized-crime-n821706

Judy,

Look at the bright side, after a record breaking eight years of no GDP growth over 3%  per quarter with the last president, Trump brought us 3+% GDP growth per quarter for two quarters in three months.  The economy is doing very well.

Have you examined the source of the donors for the Clinton Foundation's $1+ billion?  You'd be quite surprised.

19 hours ago, Bonnie said:

I got a good laugh out of the accusation that Snopes is a liberal website while citing the the National Review and, even worse, The Gatestone Institute as reliable sources.

 

"National Review (NR) is an American semi-monthly conservative editorial magazine focusing on news and commentary pieces on political, social, and cultural affairs."--Wikepedia
 

"The Gatestone Institute is a right-wing think tank that publishes articles, particularly pertaining to Islam and the Middle East. The organization has attracted attention for publishing false articles." Wikipedia

 

As to snopes.com, I offer the following: http://www.factcheck.org/2009/04/snopescom/

 

But now I suppose you will accuse both Wikipedia and Factcheck of being tools of liberalism.

Bonnie,

With all due respect, please don't put words in my mouth.  The fact is that the two owners of Snopes are far left liberals.  That's a fact.  Whether or not their site is bias, you decide.

As for Factcheck, they're always leaning left.  Wikipedia's content is via membership, any of us can contribute to the content to our desire.

"I guess we're done here, because I would never click on a website called billionbibles.org. "

Ouch!

19 hours ago, JudyS said:

And in Hawaii McDonald's serves 2 scoops of rice with a side of Spam. Does that make them suspicious because they cater to local tastes?

Judy,

But taking bacon off the menu..... bring on WW3 !!!!!

11 minutes ago, JudyS said:

I did my own search, and there are no-go zones all over the world, but these are high crime areas controlled by gangs and drug traffickers, not sharia law.

Judy,

I'm sure that you're 100% correct.  However, it has been documented that the businesses in many of these "zones" are 100% Muslim owned and that the public schools do not teach the country's native language as their primary language.  In fact, many fast food restaurants namely Burger King have altered their menus to accommodate Muslims. 

Perform an internet search on:

burger king france muslim menu

And there are 370,000+ hits discussing Burger King's altered menu in France.  Funny thing, Snopes say it's all false.

It makes you wonder.

On 10/24/2017 at 5:47 PM, Keith Woolford said:

You really actually think that the City of London Police published a poster saying "Islam is for Cretins" ?

Please. Maybe you've been watching too much FOX News. Stories about "No Go Zones" were falsely spread there according to this report.

https://www.snopes.com/politics/religion/nogozones.asp

Keith,

I have friends who have personally experienced these no go zones in Paris and London.  I was curios and performed some internet searches.  I received 146,000+ hits on no go zones.  As for Snopes, that's a liberal owned website and for them to discount such a widely discussed real problem is disingenuous.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/446101/westminster-attack-khalid-masood-islamic-europe-mosques-no-go-zones

https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/10404/france-no-go-zones

Google:  sharia no go zone

And select images.

51 minutes ago, Jim and Judi said:

You clearly don't understand affirmative action. Quotas are explicitly forbidden in the regulation. 

"Quotas are explicitly forbidden in the regulation."

The "quota" is very clear in order to protect yourself.  If the metropolitan area of where your corporation is located is say 4% people of "ABC" race or ethnicity and your company's staff is 4% or higher of "ABC" race or ethnicity you won't lose any discrimination cases in court.  Period.  The judge will always rule in your favor.  Call it what you want.

16 hours ago, Jim and Judi said:

Most companies would not have diversity quotas unless they were a part of an affirmative action requirement. I have never heard the term legally diverse workforce. 

Jim & Judi.

"Most companies would not have diversity quotas....."

All corporations in the US have diversity quotas.

"..... an affirmative action requirement."

Affirmative action is required in all US corporations.

The problem arises when there are numerous personnel changes and the employee demographics no longer meet the quota requirement. 

49 minutes ago, JudyS said:

I cook a lot of different things, but I've never used quail eggs. What do you do with them, make itty bitty omelets?

"What do you do with them, make itty bitty omelets? "

I almost snorted coffee out of my nose!

33 minutes ago, Keith Woolford said:

That's interesting.

Is Senator McCain a Panamanian-American? Is Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao a Taiwanese-American? Or is actor Keannu Reeves a Lebanese-American?

Is everyone in the U.S. hyphenated by their origin?  Or just the origins you don't like? ..or those of the people you would rather disown?

Keith,

"Is everyone in the U.S. hyphenated by their origin?"

For employment purposes in the US, not everyone is a hyphenated American.  To maintain a legal "diverse" workforce we were required to maintain a balance of what the immediate metropolitan area consisted of.  Races and ethnicity were taken into account and some were labeled appropriately.   For the most part, people of European decent do not have hyphenated names regardless of the fact whether they were born in the US or immigrated to the US, they're simply labeled "Americans."

"Or just the origins you don't like? ..or those of the people you would rather disown?"

It sounds to me that you awoke on the wrong side of the bed today.  I hope your day improves.

1 hour ago, Keith Woolford said:

The man who committed the offense is a U.S. citizen carrying a U.S. Passport who was deported to the U.S.

Senator John McCain was born in Panama. I don't think anyone calls him a Panamanian.

 

 

Keith,

So an Iranian-American?  It's significant if the individual is a Muslim who feels entitled to practice Sharia law.  It would certainly explain his actions.  Of course the incident could be alcohol related or both.

5 hours ago, Keith Woolford said:

NO Inappropriate Touching!

Panama expels an American for libidinous acts

• Andrés Castellano  Sat, 10/21/2017 

A US citizen was expelled from Panama after a court in the country found him guilty of the crime of "libidinous acts" against a compatriot on a Panamanian airline flight from the United States, the prosecutor said.

The 35-year-old man, whose identity is not disclosed, committed a "non-consensual touching" to another passenger also of US nationality, so he was apprehended when he arrived in Panama City, the Public Ministry explained.

A Judge of Guarantees legalized the apprehension, filed the imputation and validated a penalty agreement presented by the Prosecutor's Office, which allowed that the sentence to 24 months of prison was replaced by a fine of 300 dollars and the expulsion of the country of the accused, which was carried out "immediately".

http://www.panamatoday.com/panama/panama-expels-american-libidinous-acts-5567

The Public Ministry of Panama stated he was an Iranian-American.  Panama Today seemed to have omitted that fact.

"de origen iraní y de nacionalidad norteamericana"

http://ministeriopublico.gob.pa/extranjero-expulsado-del-pais-cometer-actos-libidinosos-vuelo-aereo/

Perhaps the Americas need multicultural signs that are commonly seen in Europe.

Ok, today Sunday marks the 5th day without water here in Bajo.  Last week was only two days, the week before none, and the week before that four days of no water.

A friend of mine finally closed down his popular restaurant but will reopen when the construction ceases.

When will this end?

46 minutes ago, Bonnie said:

An American expat has advised the U.S. Wardens that his bank has refused an incoming wire of money from the U.S., citing the Patriot Act. As I wired a substantial amount of money into my Panama bank account just a couple of months ago, I am wondering if this is an isolated event attributable to a single bank, or whether it may be a new banking regulation.

Has anyone conducted an incoming wire transfer from the U.S. lately? Has anyone else's bank refused an incoming wire of money from the U.S.?

Bonnie,

Can you find out which bank?

Bonnie,

I know for a fact that replacement government documents and ids such as cedulas, marriage certificates, birth certificates, etc., can be ordered at the local Tribunal Electoral.  Does that include residency visas or does one have to go through immigration like one does for a replacement drivers license at the drivers license office?

48 minutes ago, Hil said:

Machine broke down? Well, you know how that works here!!! lololololol

Hil,

Yes, I even asked that supervisor if they had a time related equipment clause, he smiled and said no.  So they're waiting to get it repaired the most economical way possible and not providing any backup equipment.  Eight weeks of paving lost, they could've had half the town paved by now.

1 hour ago, Hil said:

Obviously as mad as he was in the photos the contractor wasn't reporting progress or lack thereof or not representing the truth of his work. I wish I could recover the money I had to spend on the front end of my car because of the roads. Had the roads been paved on time after the tubes were laid I would not have had to replace front ends parts. But, I have written it off already. Just saying. I think the contractor should be fined. And if a time line was not in the contract it should have been. This is serious money Varela passed on to Boquete. Hope it isn't squandered away.

I would find it hard to believe that there are any financial penalties tied to their time lines.  We're coming on two months that their paving machine has been broken waiting for a replacement part.  To date they've only been "sealing" the road with asphalt, a laborious manual process of workers literally hand shoveling asphalt and back rolling it leaving at best a 1" thick coating which on our street is already crumbling after one month. 

I was reviewing the recently released online Pricesmart Holiday catalog and there aren't any prices.  Is this normal?

http://www.pricesmart.com/CatalogoNavideno/CEAM/CEAMcatalog.html#p=1

Does anyone have any idea on who the new tenants of the new shopping strip mall in town will be?  Are there any existing businesses relocating there?

On 9/17/2017 at 12:59 PM, TwoSailors said:

Just received an email from a  former longtime Boquete restaurateur and they do not recall any such law not allowing pets in patio areas. They double checked with a current Popular Panamian Restaurant owner. He stated it is up to the restaurant owner whether dogs are allowed.

For the benefit of the doubt in that there might be such a law, let's see where it is written.

TwoSailors,

I'm just relaying what the folks at Baru told me.  It could be like the custom's cosmetics/supplements law, on the books but rarely or selectively enforced. 

Perhaps someone should ask the new owners at Gyros.

The law states that pets can't be present at anytime in dining areas.  However, many restaurants allow them thus running the risk of being fined.  That was explained to me a couple of years ago by restaurant Baru's management when they began disallowing pets in their outdoor dining area.  Baru's disadvantage is that their outdoor dining area is open to a public park and right of way unlike other restaurants where they're more private.