JohnF13

WEll, at least the ditches and culverts trap the errant vehicles, so no damage to anyone else!

No, Dottie, you are not a captive audience.  When we shop there we fill up our cart, get into the line and then decide if it is worth our time.  On many occasions I have left a cart full of stuff and walked out.  But, that’s us, passive agressive I think is the term.  I can find pretty much everything I need at other stores and if it wasn’t for paper goods I would have a hard time justifying the annual fee.

But WHY is it planned to go to the Costa Rica border?  What is there that needs a rail line?  I’m guessing that this is intended to be part of the new silk road.  Next will be pressure to push it through the Darien, with obvious results. Unless this is a line for moving goods, it makes absolutely no sense from a commercial standpoint.

Didn't see any problems yesterday, drove past the new mall, everything normal.  Went as far down as Calle 4, nothing there either

Oh, I really have to back out of this subject.  Yes, climate change is real, it's called "weather".  It has changed many times over the life of the planet, from warm periods to ice ages.  Unfortunately, universities have debased themselves over the past few years to the extent that one really needs to question the truth of their preachings.  

That's it from me, don't want to engage this matter further.

Don’t know.  But, nothing is as it seems.  Rising sea levels - what is the basis for measurement?  Is it a stick at the entrance to some port or other or a bit more scientific?  There now seems to be an argument between scientists as to whether Arctic and Antarctic ice volumes are growing or shrinking.  The famed 97% consensus never was, it was a subset of a small group of warmists, promulgated by the IPCC. Land rises, land falls.  The problem is in the measurement.  If you say an island is being flooded due to rising seas, could the opposite not also be true - the land is sinking instead of the sea rising?  Nature is a complex thing.  Yes, there is climate change, BUT, there always has been.  CO2 emissions are a red herring, CO2 levels were much higher in medieval times - that wasn’t man made.

The sinking of islands is not necessarily caused by climate change.  There is a group of islands not far from Australia where a new one regularly grows at one end of the chain and at the other end one sinks.  Of course, plate tectonics can be a tad complicated for the followers of the Church of Gore.

Kinda related, for those of us who are fans of fresh step kitty litter, the mystery over its disappearance is resolved.  It is back, smaller size and more money.  Guess Pricesmart is thinking consumers have short memories.

Right now it is not happening.  Besides the importation ban, the government has unilaterally decided to withhold any new permits.  Do not buy a gun of any sort and expect to get it.  I have been waiting for 30 months for a shotgun permit.  Why?  Come back in 2 months......several times.  No exolanation, just no.

With Bonnie and Doug.  The members select stuff is hardly clumping at all, and it certainly does not supress odours.  Another misstep by them, if they reolace certain paper products I'm outta there.

Because it would cost money Doug, thereby diverting funds away from Diputado’s “special” projects.

In Potrerillos our power went out several times overnight, lasting 1-4 hours each time.  I would suspect wind damaging trees/poles, could happen anywhere.  As a “survivor” of the Canadian ice storm in 1998 when my power was out 23 days in the middle of a brutally cold winter, my response is “meh”.

Such a huge building, must have thousands of workers, but communicate with citizens....eewwwwwwww.

Grand words, but doesn’t it sound a bit like big brother telling you how to live and what you can do?

Seriously, Keith?  I can adopt that beastie.

I don't think there is an "easy" fix.  Raising the price  18% for those not making much  will likely result in demonstrations and protests. The easy way out would be for the government to increase the subsidy.  Will they do that?   Well, we  coming into an election cycle. 

Just seems to me there is a lot of what ifs and maybes here.  But, never mind , lets all rush to judgement and convict this guy.  Seems like we are heading back to the hang em first and have  trial later mentality.

Yes, but it is beginning to look like they are phasing out good products in favour of their own much inferior brand.  I usually buy Fresh Step clumping cat litter, now all they have in is their Members select brand, which is terrible.  If they do the same with other products I buy there I will have to reevaluate paying each year for the priveledge of being told what to buy.

I have never been asked for a “spot tax” in my 5 years here.  Been stopped plenty of times, usually just to check my licence, a lot of the time I am just waved through.  I do have a pretty good rapport with the local check point guys and give them cold water and cookies every now and again.  The head of the police in dolega knows I am a retired copper and has dropped in once or twice for help in getting repairs done to various police vehicles.  I have no problem with that and consider it community service

Bonnie,  don't know if it will work, but I buy Tilapia food from Chiki in Dolega at a good price.  I also have a bunch of duckweed/trefoil if you want it.  Lots of water hyacinths as well

Keith, Two sailors,

Education and Health surely are more important, let’s hope someone figures that out soon.  As far as the bus route cost, I took it to mean the cost of the permit plus the cost of a new bus to fulfil the obligation.  But, there again, I have been tricked once or twice!

Annnnnndddddd, we will see if the government backs down after the long haul bus operators object and start blocking the interamerican...Talking to a taxi driver last week in David, he told me the cost of a licence and a bus for the Panama-David route was over $1 million

The water has been "iffy" for about a week.  Looks like the contractors cut a main line coming down the hill when they were doing some fill and widening work at the junction of the Potrerillos Arriba main road.  Water is coming back slowly but the problem now is the red earth that has gotten into the system.  I have 5 filters prior to my reverse osmosis drinking water system and every one of them was dirty.  Usually the first filter stops everything, but this red stuff is so fine it gets through.  Ah well, new filters all around, probably time anyway.

Where are those darned Tornado chasers when you need them?  Gust of wind?  Nope.

I was there a couple of weeks ago to renew my dl.  Lots of folks waiting, but I was in and out in 30 mins.  This is one area where the service is superb.  Perhaps because it is privatised?