Dear Santa: What’s a Wiki?

Admin Note:  A shorter version of this piece has already appeared at http://www.top10costarica.com/

"I think that we have a classification system in this country that is in fact not even beneficial to the intelligence agencies," [because it keeps information from being effectively shared] - John Perry Barlow, founder of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, on NPR's On Point with Tom Ashbrook show, December 16, 2010.

What he said. And, much, much more! Not only do I agree with what Mr. Barlow said, but I believe it is just plain wrong for anyone to now come forward and use terms like treason, or espionage in connection with this latest tempest in a teapot. In the first place, please do not try to tell me that this thing involved "Military Secrets," or even seriously classified information. Maybe if we were in a real war, and we were talking about weapons, and plans and things like that, you could persuade me of this weak idea. What we have here (Iraq, Afghanistan, all of that crappy area) is a war started for only one reason. Well, all right. Two reasons: first, W's stupidity and W's buddies' greed for oil. We got a bill of goods called Weapons of Mass Destruction, and allowed that airhead and his buddies to send in elements of our "all volunteer" military to piss away as much of our national budget as they could.

I mean, come on. If this was a real war, and if we really needed to get involved in a real war, we would have allies, without having to blackmail, beg, or bully others into acting like they were helping us. We for sure would not have had to go it alone, which you know damn well (if you've been paying attention) is what has happened. And, if it was a real war, then we might have real military secrets, and the need to worry about their discovery.

As I understand it, the furor over this Wikileaks thing has come about 'cause a lowly Army PFC, assigned to an 'Intelligence' Unit in Iraq, somehow had access to a couple of (as in two) classified videos and to hundreds of thousands of State Department Cables. None of this crap can remotely be thought of in the same context as a true military secret, because all they are in fact is information that is embarrassing to the idiots that were responsible for whatever snafus that have now been revealed. Now, I already understood that the term Military Intelligence is one of history's most obvious oxymorons. So, I gotta ask, right up front, how the hell was a misfit, high school dropout assigned to Intelligence duties? And, exactly what are his qualifications to be an Intelligence Analyst?

Beyond that, what is all the huhu, anyway? Has everyone forgotten Daniel Ellsberg? What has happened to our nation, and to us, that we have reached a point where we actually believe in all these so-called 'wars'? The War On Terrorism…..The War On Drugs………..The War On Poverty……..Take all of these together and they turn out to mean nothing more than a War on our ability to think for ourselves, a War on sanity, a War on human intelligence (as in the ability to learn or understand or to deal with new or trying situations).

We all know that the War on Drugs has been a total failure, and a humongous waste of time and money, not to mention lives. The War On Poverty, in my opinion, cannot be said to have been any sort of success, if we still have it (poverty) with us. As for the War on Terror, the Terrorists won that a long time ago. Remember when we were told that if we let them cause us to change anything about how we lead our daily lives, they will have won? Well, remember also when airplane travel was fun? Ain't much fun anymore, is it?

If we have all this sophisticated technology, this modern equipment, that (according to Hollywood) is so precise as to pinpoint the exact location of a given individual wherever he is on the planet, at any point in time, why is it that we never found Osama Bin Laden? Why is it that we could not overcome a bunch of ignorant, dirty, towel-headed camel jockies in Iraq, Afghanistan, or Pakistan? How is it that we consider Pakistan to be our "friend," for that matter? Why are we now guilty of having made the same mistake that the Soviets did (remember how we laughed at them?) regarding Afghanistan? You know, the Q word, their huge Viet Nam style screwup! Yes, that's right: Quagmire.

What business do we have over there? What business did we have when W sent our Troops into Iraq? WMD's? What WMD's? I suspect that we are all agreed that the real (you know, the real, verdad, true) reason behind our involvement in the messed up Middle East is OIL, right? So, how come we haven't yet gained total and complete access and control over all that frickin' oil? What do we have to show for all these years of stupidity over there?

Our own country is a shambles, with a crumbling infrastructure, an insurmountable National Debt, a currency that has lost too much of its value, a healthcare system that is a joke, rampant unemployment, greedy politicians of whatever 'party' totally ignoring the needs, nay, the demands of their electorate………..should I go on? Look at us. Americans of every stripe, every social strata, every differing philosophy sniping at one another, arguing with one another over what is right, and what is wrong. On the one hand, we have the Republicans resorting to that old W stratagem (the one that was so effective in starting us down this wrong path), fear. "You're a traitor if you question the Administration's decisions and actions," was the cry of the Bush Administration. Now, on the other hand, we have the Democrats, looking like a bunch of inept, incompetent wannabes, accomplishing nothing. And, largely due to the Republican's intransigence, the President faces constant criticism for not doing something, because he is pretty much powerless to do anything, since he has no support from any quarter.

I have an idea. Pretty simple, too. What do you say, we pull out of the Middle East, entirely? No U. S. presence in any of those 'stans, or 'rans or 'raqs or whatever. Warn all Americans to avoid travel to that part of the world, 'cause if they do, they're on their own. That's not enough. Add to that no foreign aid for anyone over there. No loans. No 'international commerce' of any kind with anyone over there. No American involvement whatsoever. Then, stand back and let them kill each other, 'cause that's what they're good at. If we're not there at all, they can't justify any jihad, any mass hatred for the "Infidel," right? Sooner or later, one of two things will happen. Either one of them will emerge victorious, or there will be none of them left anyway. Then, if y'all really, really, really want to, go on back in and suck up all the oil, um, uh, oo, ah………pick up the pieces.

No huhu. No Americans getting killed for nothing. No more billions and trillions of Dollars poured down the black hole that is the Middle East. No more hate poured upon us by that part of the world. Oh, yeah, let me really piss off some of you who might have been leaning towards agreeing with my great idea: there will be one exception to those parts of the Middle East that we abandon, and that is Israel. But, our involvement with that tiny nation will be limited to assisting them to protect themselves from any overlapping of the bloodshed that will engulf the Middle East.

Can anyone tell me what this is?

I know it is a fuzzy image, but it was the best I could do with what I've got.  I can tell you that it is from the opening credits on NYPD Blue, and it has mystified me for years.  Anyone?

A New Farce Unleashed

Ordinarily he was insane, but he had lucid moments when he was merely stupid.

Heinrich Heine (1797 - 1856)

NOTE: this was obviously written some weeks ago. I apologize if it is out of date, but I still wanted to get it out there (here).

 

Sometimes I feel like I'm missing something. One glaring situation where I get that feeling is the recent and current border incursion on the part of Nicaragua into Costa Rica's far Northeast area, around the Isla Calero. I had a very tough time finding a map or other image to show me exactly where this disputed little island is really located, but after finding it, I have to ask even more questions than the one I started out with here. When I said that I feel like I'm missing something, what I was aiming for was this: how in the world can a nation that is so poor that it cannot feed its own people – to the point that significantly large numbers of them have fled to Costa Rica, another poor nation, in an effort to find work, and thus feed their families – manage to support any kind of meaningful military? For those gringos who are not aware of it, Costa Rica actually serves the same purpose for Nicaragua that the U. S. serves for Mexico and much of the rest of Latin America. Ticos don't want to do manual labor anymore (even though there is not much else to do here), so you'll find – all over the country – that the most menial, lowest paying work is almost entirely performed by Nicas. Nicas, I might add, who are glad to have the work. They flock to this country in large numbers, and many of them are working here illegally.

Please understand that I have never personally visited Nicaragua, and have no plans to do so. But, I have talked to a number of folks who have been there, both Ticos and gringos. They all agree that very generally Nicaragua has better roads than Costa Rica. Also, please understand that I not only have no stake in this dispute, but I also have no claim to any particular knowledge of anything about it. So, whatever I say here is simply me, speaking my opinion on a subject of which I know very little. To further expand on my first question, however, I want to repeat that I can't understand how Nicaragua can't feed its own people, but can have a standing army, and decent roads.

What's more, I can't help but note that the actions being taken by that nation, and the public statements coming from their leaders sure sound familiar. Isn't this a typical socialist (Socialist in the worst way, as in Communist – Soviet Union, Red China, North Vietnam, Cuba, et al) move? I mean, they go into a place, and when caught, start out by lying outright, defying the world to do anything about it! In particular, this was always effective for the bad guys of the fifties and the sixties (up to the actions of people like that idiot in Iran, or Hugo Chavez, in Venezuela today) since their claims are so outrageous that the rest of the world is distracted from the fact that these lying thieves actually have their sticky little fingers in somebody else's cookie jar. And, worse, as in this present case, their move has been against a virtually defenseless little nation.

It is interesting to talk to people here of late, especially the Ticos, because no one really knows what to do, or what might help them. There are voices clamoring for all Nicas to be forced to return to their homeland, but RIGHT NOW! This is actually a pretty good idea, in my opinion, because it is my understanding that the numbers are so significant that the government of Nicaragua could well be overwhelmed in taking care of so many people all at once, and that would certainly generate some world notice and perhaps some action. To be honest, however, It is really a bad idea, though, because then the Ticos would find out just how much their precious little 'Switzerland of the Americas' has been infiltrated and even changed from what it used to be. There would be nobody left to empty the overflowing slop jars of a nation so beset by lassitude as to be incapable of doing such things by themselves, and Ticos would not react well to that.

Ultimately, though, as has long been the custom here, Ticos are looking for outside help, even if it means military intervention by a nation stronger than Nicaragua because their national psyche just cannot get around the fact that they are truly powerless, have always been so, and will always be so. They not only have no military, but they have told themselves (and the rest of the world) for so long that they are better off without a military, that they actually believe this. They cite a higher level of education and better health care, but ignore the realities of the fact that their universal health care system is fraught with gaps in care, lack of proper materials and even medications, and delays running into the years for certain treatments. As for their education system, I guess it is OK if your goal is to have a nation of semi-literate, untrained, stuck-in-the-19^th-century inepts.

I know that the most recent speculation (and, actually, this is not at all recent, although previous versions have featured different players) has to do with a plot by Iran, Venezuela, and Nicaragua to create a new canal across the isthmus to rival the Panama Canal. (Maybe I just answered my big question, though: the reason Nicaragua can afford a military is that they have received aid from places like Iran and Venezuela). That may well be true, but this is a pretty underhanded way to go after such a goal. Why not come out into the daylight, and get the cooperation of those affected by such a plan, and turn it into a money-maker? Maybe that would solve Nicaragua's glaringly obvious poverty, and lead to them being able to keep their own boys home on the farm, as it were.

Then, the morning news brought the announcement that a small fleet of military vehicles, made in Germany (Mercedes Benz, no less) had been successfully imported into Costa Rica, via the Port of Limon, on the East Coast, destined for (drum roll, please) Nicaragua. That's right. They were, as I wrote this, on their only slightly delayed way up the east coast, bound for the very area that was currently under dispute! Say what? Talk about a comedy of errors! OK, maybe these trucks were not headed directly for the Isla, but there is no way that Costa Rica should have allowed the government of Nicaragua to save money by shipping through a port located in Costa Rica. Make them pay more, and use the Panama Canal.

Next, we got the news that the Fiscalia of something or other, here in Costa Rica, had issued an arrest warrant for the former Sandanista leader, Commandante Cero (General Edén Pastora) for charges having to do with the destruction of the environment. And, I believe there was also a scene played out in the border area, where reporters were massed together to interview him, but they were on the Costa Rican side of the border, and since he was aware that Costa Rican authorities were standing by, he stayed on his side of the border.

Well, who knows how this comedy will play out? Certainly not I. Whatever happens, I don't see any good here for either the people of Costa Rica or those of Nicaragua.

Just When You Thought I Have Mellowed.

"Strange as it seems, no amount of learning can cure stupidity, and higher education positively fortifies it." - - Stephen Vizinczey, An Innocent Millionaire

 

Some days I have to ask myself where do these people come from? I can't help it, but I read AMCostaRica every day, since it does seem to provide the most news, in one location, about this place. But, it seems that the strangest people in Costa Rica also read it, and what's worse, they have to write to the editor to express their self-centered opinions (much like me, huh?). Yesterday's issue, however, seemed to have reached a new level of ridiculosity, if there is such a word. Take the letter from a Tony McCeath, who says he lives in San Ramon:

Mr. McCeath's letter starts off with what appears to be a legitimate statement of facts as they may well apply to Costa Rica, but turns out to be just another rant about squatters.  How sad.  Personally, I am just a bit tired of all the whining about how poor gringos have been taken advantage of after having purchased land in a foreign country, and then – in essence and in reality – showing that they lacked the foresight to provide for its security in their absence!  Come on, folks!  All of us who have even visited one or two times were made aware that it is legal to obtain ownership of land here with simple possession.  In order to avoid any problems as an absentee landowner, all one has to do is make a few informed decisions:  First, don't buy land or property at all unless you plan to be here keeping an eye on it yourself.  Second, if you do buy property, with the intent of being an absentee owner, make arrangements with someone to care for it, and to watch so as to safeguard it from becoming attractive to a potential squatter.  Third, don't take trips without also arranging for someone to watch over your property.

As regards this person's complaint about having his passport checked as he travels about the country, I'm not really sure what he is saying.  He said that he has lived here for two years.  So, I would have to ask why is he still carrying his passport?  I put mine away the day I got my cedula, and haven't thought about it since.  I have encountered police and immigration checkpoints on rare occasions (well, actually, there is one on the road to Liberia, near Pijije, that is always active, and appears to be mostly checking buses traveling to and from Nicaragua).  On those occasions when the officials asked for ID, they did not actually ask for my passport, so I showed them either my Costa Rica drivers' license, or my cedula.  And, as for the complaint about Costa Rica being two-faced and having attempted to enter a 'Friend of the Court' plea regarding the U. S. State of Arizona's recently enacted law, the Editor has already provided the clarification that this was rejected.

And, finally, we get his complaint about how much money recent Court decisions in Costa Rica have cost a Canadian company.  Don't think he has much right to complain about this topic, and I don't think that I could care less either way.  Any business operating in any foreign country should know enough NOT to spend money needlessly, while learning how business is done in that country.  Essentially, therefore, the same simple warning that we, as potential property owners here should have heeded, applies to a company that wants to do business here.  And, he concludes with a suggestion that "we" ought to consider suing Costa Rica.  I have to say, What?!  Who is 'we?'  Now, I can't speak for Mr. McCeath, any more than he can speak for me, and, with all due respect, please consider this:  We are not citizens of this country.  We are merely (in my case, at least) temporary residents.  We have no franchise.  Isn't it just a bit presumptuous of us to propose to dictate to this nation how it conducts its business?  I mean, didn't you know any of this before you decided to live here?

And, then, I saw the next letter, and have to ask: Who is Ann Boyd, and where has she been hiding herself all her life? Who does she think she is? How dare she presume to judge the people of Haiti? She has written one of the most ill-informed letters to an editor that I think I have ever seen, that's who she is! Has she no sense of history? Why does she think that an entire generation, the world over, is known as the Baby Boomers? In the wake of each and every natural – or manmade – disaster in the history of the world, there has been an increase in births roughly nine months later! Remember the brown-outs and Black-outs that struck the East Coast back in the (what was it) the 70's or 80's? Population is affected, disaster strikes, and any number of people find that they are without lights, or TV, or any outside distraction. What do they do with themselves? One thought comes to mind right away: go to bed, early and often!

She castigates the people of Haiti, who apparently have nothing better to do with themselves, in the wake of that poverty-stricken country's recent disasters, than to procreate. Doesn't Ms. Boyd realize that this is indeed God's way to make up for any decrease in population, anywhere in the world, throughout written history? Does she actually think that life in that country was so good before their most recent disasters?

Well, I've got news for her: The world has more folks living in poverty than it does otherwise. More people go to bed hungry each and every day than otherwise. More people live without (oh, electricity, television, potable water, bottled beverages, frozen foods, processed foods, supermarkets, just to name a few things), than otherwise.

Get over it. But, also, take a look at a mirror – quick! You have the nerve to say that children are a gift from God, and to offer your wishes that God bless those children?! That would suggest that you have chosen to read your Bible very selectively, lady. That same Bible also says something about not judging others, unless you want to be judged yourself, doesn't it?

Meanwhile, over on another site, called USExpatcostarica.com, a lady recently wrote a story all about St. Mary's School Guachipelín, Escazú- San Jose, C.R., Says "NO" to FAILING 1st Grader who wishes to attend their school! ----

Do I need to mention that I got into it with the lady in question? The article is all about how her kid, with ADD & possible dyslexia, had failed first grade at an unnamed school. The family then reportedly began looking for a new school for his next school year, and one of those looked at was the above named school. She is upset because they told her that their policy is that they do not accept any student that has failed any previous grade. Now, she claims in her letter that the family's psychiatrist, who is in the process of evaluating the kid, has told them that he needs to learn in English, as this is his first language. She goes on to complain that the school also reportedly told her that they teach at least three classes in Spanish, so they don't feel that they could properly meet the doctor's recommendation.

Now, she is totally angry, going on about the kid's rights, and how she is going to sue this school. Personally, I don't understand this gringo attitude that says a private school cannot set its own standards, and I said so. I also said that it is not proper for us to expect government intervention into everything little thing that does not go our way in this world, but of course, I am just an evil, uninformed all around bad guy for having dared to disagree with her and her complaint. We have had too much back and forth on the above mentioned page, so I think I'll just let her go on ahead and pursue her legal case, while she will conveniently overlook what is important here. Like so many before her, she will follow a path where she has to place blame for all of life's blows elsewhere, dedicate her life to some real or imagined battle, and ultimately, the kid will end up suffering, because she can't help overdoing her battle.

What probably pushed my buttons in this situation was that the lady mentioned (in her first response to my admonition to get over it) how she and her husband are forced to live here in CR because he requires 24/7 total care for an undisclosed condition, and they can't afford such in the states. But, her article was all about how 'we' had been involved in pursuing educational goals for their child. How can someone who requires 24/7 total care participate in meetings at schools, and this lofty pursuit of education for 'their' kid? That information, coupled with her insistence that her child has 'rights' is what got me going.

In case I haven't mentioned it before, I have a real problem with this medical diagnosis of ADD/ADHD/and all variations thereof. I also have a real problem with the persistent overuse of Ritalin for kids with this diagnosis. And, I might as well admit it I have a real problem with all the un-intentioned aftereffects of the ADA, and all the bending over backwards that the PC crowd has force fed us for, what, a generation or more, now? I'm sorry, but I do not believe that kids with learning disabilities belong in a regular classroom. A good teacher knows that their teaching must be focused on the slowest learner, the dumbest student, if you will, in the class. That way, the teacher can be sure that all the students will get the message. When we force the teacher to constantly dumb down the teaching, what do we get? What we get, is what we got: more and more social promotions, more and more 'graduates' who are functional illiterates, ignorant, and unable to cope with the real world (maybe like this lady).

I am also, of course, less than impressed with people who somehow expect the "government" to provide for their every need. You know the ones. They resort to lawsuits at the drop of a coffee cup in their laps (sorry; couldn't resist). If all of the above is not enough, I also have a more serious problem with gringos who come to live in Costa Rica and expect – nay, demand – that they receive the same benefits they expected in the states. So, since all of this is true, and since I have a big mouth (as in, access to a keyboard), I have to speak up. That's enough for now, I guess. You all may talk amongst yourselves.

A very busy week

I guess it might be a good idea to acknowledge some of the pending/current goings on for the extended Dungan family about now.

This weekend just ended saw our daughter, Blanca, and her family traveling to Austin, from Arlington on Saturday. First, they picked up Andy, the oldest boy, at the airport in Austin, and then they all attended the UT vs. Florida Atlantic Football game. They then got together with Blanca's two brothers, who live in Austin (AD & Bucko), and partied.

This week will also mark these special occasions:

1. 22^nd – birthday of AD²'s bro-in-law, Gene Perez. Happy Birthday, Gene.
   

1. 23^rd – Anniversary of youngest brother, David, and his wife, Sue. Happy Anniversary!
   
2. 24^th - birthday of our favorite niece, Melissa. Happy Birthday, Meli.
   

   4. 25^th – birthday of older brother, Dennis. Happy Birthday, Bro.
   

   5.   25^th – Thanksgiving. We have a lot to be thankful for, here, and want to wish everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving. Hope to do what everyone else does, too, and watch football until I fall asleep in front of the TV.
   

   6. 26^th – The most happiest of all occasions, a wedding! Big Brother Mike, and his lady, Miss CJ, will tie the knot in Virginia, which used to be known as the state for Lovers (lovers of what, I know not). Felicitations and congratulations to you both!
   

   7. 30^th – birthday of our youngest, Andrew. Happy Birthday, Bucko!
   

   Hope everyone has a great week. We will try for one down here!
   

You (still) Can’t Fight City Hall

Problems with a local Water Authority……

Mr. Steve Doyle wrote a very long report/opinion piece for AMCostaRica the other day. He titled his piece "When the approval process runs into lack of accountability." He started out by explaining that he has purchased some acreage in the area, and has plans to develop all but three acres for sale to others. He claims that he has no expectation to make money out of this effort, but does expect to offset his own costs. And, then he talks about how he is planning to put in what he calls infrastructure, mentioning electric, water, and roads. He reports that all has progressed well since last year, except the connection of water to the property.

He makes reference to how "The Volio ASADA (which he identifies as his local source of water) consists of selected local citizens serving as a board of directors making decisions on the management of their water lines and sources," and other things. It does appear that, while he says he made serious effort to prepare himself for his project, that he is still ignorant of how things work in Costa Rica, and that troubles me. He should be aware, if he has indeed done his homework, that his local water authority is not "a selected" "board of governors." In fact, if this authority is anything like ours, these folks are elected, not selected (and, there is a difference), and while they make decisions, their function is not quite that simple. They are first and foremost responsible for maintaining the water system, and ensuring that the members of the water district (paying customers) continue to receive an uninterrupted supply of potable water.

He complains that these folks are "by no means professionals, nor do they necessarily have expertise in running a coop or any other business enterprise for that matter." Actually, I think if he was aware of how they come to serve on the water 'board,' maybe he would not have had such high expectations. They are NOT businessmen, nor do they pretend to be. He goes on to say that he had taken great pains to be sure that water would be available to him, but that appears to have centered on talking to folks, rather than getting anything on paper. Beyond that, after he gets done excoriating the local ASADA, he then takes on AyA (the common abbreviation for the Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos Y Alcantarillados, but he misidentified and misspelled the name of this agency), the federal agency that oversees water for Costa Rica.

My take on his explanation is that he did not adequately explain to the local water authority just what it was that he was expecting from them, and he may well have overestimated their ability to provide sufficient quantities of water to meet those expectations. He complains only that, after initial encouragement from the local folks, they pushed the final decision up to the national level. His apparent lack of knowledge of their proper name further suggests to me that perhaps he has not done his homework.

He complains that the local folks "could not make a move without the national water company providing their advice and counsel." Again, this indicates to me that he misunderstands this entire situation. The AyA is NOT a water company, but a government agency. The local water authorities around Costa Rica do indeed depend on AyA for their legal existence (I know that ours is inspected annually by the AyA, and cannot continue to exist without essentially renewing a license; incidentally, our local system always passes with flying colors, because we have some really good people running it). He talks about his project is going to require six water meters, and that right there suggests further complications. That's also interesting to me, because we don't use water meters up here in the boondocks, and we all just do fine.

OK, let me first provide some very general disclaimers: I know I am behind the curve on this one, as the guy wrote his piece in AMCostaRica some days ago now, and some folks, who are truly experts have already weighed in on this topic. I also know that I am not an engineer, not a developer, not a big land owner, not a 'realtor,' and I certainly have no dog in this hunt (or, horse in this race). But, I do live in Costa Rica, and I do know just a wee bit about how things are done here. I would suggest that one needs to fight fire with fire, and act as a Tico would act. I did not say to think like a Tico, but act like one. So, I have two scenarios for Mr. Doyle (and, yes, hind sight is always 20/20):

One, from the get-go, without ever mentioning that one is planning anything even remotely resembling any sort of 'development' (remember this is very likely to be a dirty word to a lot of people just now), only ask your local water authority for a water connection for your own three acres. You, to your ASADA: "One normal single household water hookup, please." Then, go from there. Go ahead and run whatever lines you think are necessary within the other seven acres, without hooking any of them up to anything. Wait for each new owner to seek his/her own hookup. Then, either share the cost, or pay their cost, or let each pay his own way (carry his own water, so to speak), whatever it takes to get the remainder of the properties hooked up as they are ready. This would have been the path of least resistance, also known as acting like a Tico.

Two, if you insist on doing everything on the up and up, aka gringo-style, you should have started with the AyA, and bypassed your local authority entirely. I say that because they obviously are not equipped to handle your needs on their own, anyway. Your engineer or attorneys should have approached AyA first informally, verbally, and then, as the need arose, submitted whatever written applications, requests for permits, etc., might have been appropriate. That way, they (AyA) could have come to your local people – on your behalf – and got things going much better.

Finally, when things go sour (and, they have a way of doing that in Costa Rica) do NOT resort to name calling, do not let anger take over your better judgment, and avoid confrontation (just like Ticos do). Yes, this means that I believe you have gone too far with your public slamming of AyA and the local ASADA (use of words like dysfunctional, poorly run, and unconscionable is very seriously counter-productive). Calmly discuss what needs to be done with your legal representative, your engineers, whoever is appropriate. Then, you might accomplish what you want. Also, keep in mind that all is not lost for you. This, too, shall pass. You will get what you need if you just patiently pursue it, one baby step at a time.

Oh, and I would avoid any reference to whatever good you think your project might do for the local community, whether you think you'll have a big economic impact, or provide lots of jobs, or improve the overall infrastructure. None of that really matters to your Tico neighbors. Just try to be a good neighbor, and avoid singing your own praises.

Polly wanna name?

They always talk who never think. - Matthew Prior

Well, it's a pretty nice day today in paradise, and just maybe it is past time that I remember (and share) just where and when I am/we are. Yes, we did after all, move here for a reason. I know I always harp about bad internet, spotty electrical service, poor phone connection, bad roads, lack of customer service, and on and on. But, you know what, I was at least semi-aware of most of that before I got here. What brought us here was obviously none of the above, but something else that I seem to always overlook, or fail to mention: It is freakin' beautiful here! Today, the sun is shining, the temperature is around 73 degrees Farenheit, there is a brisk wind blowing, and the sky is absolutely gorgeous, clean, crisp, with great big beautiful clouds.

We had a quick trip over to Tilaran late this morning (I had a dentist appointment at 11:00), and everything went well. Maybe that's one of the positives I could share. I got the last bit of work done in connection with a very important dental implant – one that started at least three years ago, believe it or not! You see, I really needed to have this work done, and it did begin. Unfortunately, I don't remember exactly when it began, but we were here on vacation, and on a Saturday, the specialist came from San Jose to Tilaran, where he placed the actual implant. The cost, as quoted at that time, was $1,500.00Dollars, half of which I paid then. I'm going with 2007 as the year I had this done, and I believe it was probably sometime in July.

Well, there would normally have been a follow up after about two weeks, but of course, we were back in Dallas by then. I knew that the implant wasn't taking, probably before we left to go back to Texas, because I remember the gum and jaw were still sore. At some point in time, I realized that the metal post was not exactly tight in my jaw, and sure enough, within a couple of weeks of our return to Dallas, that sucker popped right out. I communicated with both the specialist and my dentist in Tilaran, and they said that sometimes the metal in these things is rejected (boy, I'll say) and not to worry. We'd do it over again whenever I was back in Costa Rica.

We did return very briefly in 2008, but that was only one week, and the purpose of that trip was to look at – and, of course, buy, our lot. Then, we moved here in 2009, and for one reason or another, I didn't have time to set up the appointment to try for the do over. Meanwhile, I do remember that I had to have one bad tooth pulled right after we got here, then, sometime in January or February of this year, I went back in and had a new implant done. There was supposed to be a six month wait for this to take before proceeding to the next step, which would be the creation and placement of a crown over the implant. This was extended because I developed a very bad abscess to another tooth, near the implant, and that had to be pulled. Because of the proximity to the implant, of course there was some concern that this might impact that healing, but fortunately it did not. It did, however, create a further delay in getting the crown, because we had to wait for the area of the recent extraction to heal.

So, today was a for-real red letter day for me. Got the crown, it makes a huge difference to me, and the balance is paid in full. No work other than the placement of the crown was done, so no pain involved, and no healing time. I only had to wait for the cement to set, and now I can actually chew on both sides of my mouth for the first time in some years.

Now, we're up to date. The stereo is chuggin' out some Texas Tornados, and the silly parrot is making all kinds of strange noises. Oh, yeah, we now have a parrot. No name. Blanca wanted to call her Lola, but nobody (including me) likes that name. How do we know she's a she? Funny you should ask. We have no idea of the sex of this bird, and from my research it appears that there are only a couple of ways to know the sex of a parrot. One, take the bird to a vet, and have blood drawn for typing, or two, take the bird to a vet and have him open the bird up to see what kind of sex organs are present. Both of these seem a bit extreme to me, so we have gone with what the Ticos tell us, pending an opportunity to introduce her to another bird, so we could see if she catches or pitches.

How, you ask, do we know the sex of the bird, based on the ancient wisdom of the Ticos? Simple. A girl bird likes males (as in human type males), and a boy bird likes females (again, as in human type females). That is, providing, of course, that said bird is not either in a closet, or outright homosexual. This bird, after all that Blanca has done for her, obviously and blatantly prefers me to her. I mean, it was Blanca who spoon fed her as a baby, who cleaned up after her, made sure she had a nice, warm and dark place to sleep, who fussed and fretted over the poor thing until she was able to feed herself. But, if Blanca comes near when I'm around, the bird makes threatening (read, screeching) noises at her, while cozying up to me. She will ride on my shoulder, preen me, and generally jump towards me whenever I walk near, but none of that for Blanca, or any other female. So, that, my friends, is how you tell the sex of a parrot – at least around this house.

So, any ideas out there for a name for this bird? Whatever I decide on will NOT be a common, run-of-the-mill, ordinary everyday parrot name. So, please don't suggest Polly, or Paulie, or Lola or Lola, or any variations of same. Meanwhile, our little house is not so little any more, with the addition of a closed garage/workshop/storage space where the carport was originally placed, and a carport located to the back and the front of the house, respectively. We've overbuilt to the point that we now have no idea where we could stand to take a picture that will show the entire house in one shot. The best I can think of is to go up on the road, and take a series of shots, while walking down. So, that's what I did, and the results have now been posted on Facebook, as a video (http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1639272072508) and now, I think I'll take a little break. Thanks for reading.