Eric Blair

I am truly F***ing fed up w/W10. I'm seriously considering another laptop to use strictly offline for projects. What is the learning curve on Linux? Will it run my printer, and other programs I need such as Adobe Reader, etc. Can I try it w/o removing windows?

From an expat (USA) my comment/question is: How will it affect me? I go to Walmart and see a "sale" where the price of whatever is reduced by $20.00 (pesos). I calculate that to the current exchange rate, and it's just slightly over US$1.00. Same for fruit; a $10.00 pesto drop is about US$0.50. I see two places where it could hit expats directly. Your gardener/maid/plumber/etc. will be looking for a big jump from the current (appx) $60-$70 pesos per hour. But as said above; time will tell. I'm looking to grab pesos now when it's over $20.00 to the US$

Anyone ever think of asking the cost of a basic inspection and then what/if/when something is found, give a quote? Whatever the prices are that anyone charges, it should be a negotiated bargain. If any tradesperson won't do that, then I'm wary of that person. Also, trades persons or otherwise, they will continue to charge as much as the traffic will bear, and if/when people stop paying high prices, the prices will go down. It doesn't take a structural engineer to figure that $500 for an hour is better than $0.00 for that hour. There are some really piss-poor trades persons Lakeside and some great ones, but there is usually not just one great one and one totally incompetent one. The above does not just apply to trades persons, but attorneys, doctors, accountants, etc. Above FWIW

I got $18.80 on a wire a few weeks ago. Should have waited, but that's part of the game.

Looking for Joco area. I have a 1995 Ford Windstar and want to convert it to a semi-camper. One thing I want to do is raise the roof. I have seen several pictures and am pretty sure it can be done by someone "local." I asked for Joco area because I know the price will be way less than Ajijic. Thanks.

Everything depends on your point of view and your personality. The best advice I have received abut living in Mexico is to leave your notions/beliefs of how things should be at the border. Don't come to Mexico thinking it will be like NOB, or even worse, you will change how the "locals" think or act, or their values to suit you. When in Rome = = == = = Since the change in the local police, I haven't had any problem with mordida by cops. Build your own home? NEVER! Takes 2X as long and costs around 2X what you figure. "Five finger discounts" by workers is traditional. IMO, be nice, keep a low profile, don't go out, except to the malacon or plaza at night and enjoy the positive here, and I see a lot of it. Finally, IMO, don't take what you read on any board as gospel, unless it is direct from the first source and factual.

Please correct me if I'm wrong. Best to have an attorney fill and file the papers. Yes? Best to have an attorney do paperwork to cite the laws. Yes? There are no Pro Bono attorneys Lakeside. True? PROFECO has no enforcement powers. Can't issue a collectable judgment. Correct? PROFECO can't directly do anything about/against a license. True? I wasted a lot of time and $$ trying to get something effective through PROFECO and that was the result -- Time/$$ wasted. IMO, Mexico is a self-help country. In most cases, the agencies there to help you don't.

IME (In My Experience), most mediation does not work in Mexico. I believe self-help is the best way depending on what/how much is involved.

A couple of the Chapala benches are close to that, but I plan on buying new boards. If I can't get volunteers, my wife and I will give it a shot and post (motivational?) pictures. Not to say next project can't be Ajijic. I'm tired of watching videos. Need something productive.

This is a great community project IMO. I saw in a post someone said the benches at the malecon needed upkeep, so I went to the Chapala malecon and sure enough, some upkeep is needed. So I thought that would be a good community project. So I went to the Municipal Palace and tracked down the right guy and ended up with an official letter saying it's OK to repair and paint the benches. Now I'm looking for five volunteers to help me. I'm figuring to paint the benches colors to match the "CHAPALA" sign. I'll ask Walmart if they will donate paint and if they won't, I'll get it myself along with brushes and drop-cloths. I will even supply lunch (Tamale, soda, one beer each day and of course water). I have an electric sander and will see if I can beg/borrow another one or two. Maybe a volunteer has one to use. I'm also sure, we can get an honorable mention in the Guadalajara Reporter (I'll take some pictures and alert the Reporter). I would think this is one way of giving back to the community although Know there are many other and probably more worthwhile ways, but this is only asking for a few hours and the the results should be well worth the effort. If interested, please either PM me with your availability and thoughts. If I can't get any interest, I'll invest a couple of hours a day and do it on my own, but would love help. Thanks.

According to what Spencer told me some time ago, an attorney can't write a "threatening" letter. You can of course, get your attorney's card and hand it to the bad-guy and say your attorney will be contacting him.

IMO, Spencer will tell the victim, to try Profoco, but that's only arbitration. Maybe go to Ministerio Publico (fraud). Probably dead end. Civil lawsuit? Costs a lot and takes forever. You probably end up calling it tuition in the school of hard-knocks. I got the same thing from the electronic guy on Pepe Gazar. Took my $$, promised the product; excuse anter excuse. Finally I asked for my $500 back. No. Asled about the product. "I'll call you." That was a year ago. This was after 10-years dealing w/him and offering to pay for his dog ("Charlie" have surgery. Remember though; for every one of these kinds of guys, there are IMO 9 that you can trust their words. You should say who this is to warn others.

My error with poor Spanish. I won't start again on "The principle of the thing." I found that's a lost cause point.

When my ex-wife came here last, she was in a wheelchair. She was taken off the plane and wheeled through everything the limit line after passing into the main arrival area. She was told she had to pay US$20.00. I saw her and was walking over to her and first thins she said was "I need US$10." I asked why. She said she only had US$10. and the cost was US$20. She had given him the US$10. I said there was no charge for the wheelchair. She said she had told him that and he said the US$20. was not for the chair, but the "Pushing service." You paid only if you wanted to give a propina/tip. I looked at the porter and just said, " Muy malo para una mujer con discapacidad." He just turned and walked away. On her first trip here, her carry-on had been taken from her at the plane door, and when she got it, it had been ransacked and her $$ (US$70.00)and some costume jewelry taken. I told her forget it, nothing she could really do. Just FYI