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Lotus, No, I didn’t think you were being defensive at all. I guess my post was a bit confusing, as I was trying to play something like, devil’s advocate and good cop, bad cop, all at the same time. Sometimes it just doesn’t read like you think it will. I was trying to be funny though.
Al
More fear, more funding? Maybe it is just timing, but it does sound suspicious.
In looking at all the possibilities for replacement in ’08, I don’t think the field shows much promise in the way of substantial improvement or change. The two party system has a virtual lock on the candidates. We need fresh ideas and new blood to see any sort of meaningful change in the way we govern. We will only get more of the same old, same old, next time around. The field must be opened up to independent thinkers and those not beholding to special interests. If not, we can only expect the government we deserve…One that is not responsive to the country’s needs.
Even as a mostly conservative kind of guy, I would be more than willing to hear anything from anyone, on the left or right, that would preserve businesses in the USA, get a real grasp on immigration, not sell off our infrastructure, and properly educate our youth so they can be competitive in the marketplace.
Also while we are at it, All corporate support of candidates must be reined in. We can’t have corporations giving money to both parties and expect any of the elected officials not to be influenced. What ever happened to a government of, by, and for the people? It looks more and more like a bottom line driven government than a representative one. And the end certainly does not justify the means.
As far as being disappointed in what has been happening, I am about as pi**ed off as most every other US citizen. And I voted for him!
We have to get out of the business of nation building and quasi-imperialistic dreams in order take care of business at home first. We also have to protect ourselves without turning into a police state. We have to reclaim the status of being a great nation, that others will want to become, and still be a nation for legal immigrants to be a part of.
There is a multitude of things wrong with this country and it didn’t just happen in the last six years. The course correction may, or may not come in the next couple of years, but we need to vote in candidates that share our values and ideals for a better country. If not, we all will be going to Costa Rica or other points on the globe to escape.PS I like the “Shrub” nickname. Almost fell off the chair! Took about three seconds to sink in. It was the first time I’ve heard it.
No wonder you’ve had a great marriage…He’s Italian! Now I know why I enjoy reading your comments. It’s because of the tremendous influence he’s had on you. LOL
All kidding aside, you are one funny and classy lady, if I may say so.Maravilla, It sounds like you have a happy marriage and both compliment each other. Clearly defined roles in today’s society can sow the seeds of discord in a marraige. A marriage of give and take and being tolerant of each others faults and shortcomings will go a long wy towards a happier marraige. Most people now find it more difficult to even make the commitment of marraige. Some psychologists say to put it off until the age of 30 and better yet 40. I don’t think we’ve fostered a society that puts much value on making things work for the long term. It lets us do our thing and our partners sometimes seem to be left out of the mix. Not to say that there are not some marraiges that should never be.
My wife and I will be married 30 years in two days and we got hitched at 21 years old. It wasn’t always easy and we’ve had our rough times and our great ones. Through it all, We still want to grow old together…At least we have something to look forward to.The thought police are here in the US in full force, making us all think twice about complimenting anyone. The days of chivalry are gone I’m afraid, never to return. Men feel constrained in every effort to make a woman feel like what a woman used to feel like. Women and men are equal in their status as people, but there are still differences. The gender neutralizing that has gone on has led to women being inhibited to act as women did before, and men being something other than men had been. Not wanting to say the caveman attitude of dragging a woman off was the way it should be, but men should still be allowed to feel secure being masculine and women should be comfortable being feminine.
It is refreshing that some of the women here still have a feminine identity and don’t regard a man’s complimenting them as harassment.
I salute you women who still enjoy being a female and you men who still will hold a door for a lady.Edited on Jun 03, 2007 09:53
Lotus, I was trying to play both ends against the middle in what I said. I fully respect and understand your duty in protecting the landord. I also cannot shed any tears for renters that have the income to secure such an apartment. The point I was attempting to make was that I was amazed at the tenents, regardless of their income, that will behave as dirtbags and trash an apartment or make a landlord go through the time consuming legal steps to evict. Also it was eyeopening to find out how the rental process has gone from one month’s security to up to four because of the reasons you said about tenant rights and the overall concern landlords have for renting to these types of tenants.
It just appears to me everything is degenerating in our society the longer it is exists.Pura Vida
Hey Lotus, I just gotta ask. After you finish with those checks, are there any renters still left standing. It is scary that the situation in NY, or perhaps all around the globe, has gotten to a state where you almost need to give your first born in order to get an apartment. Are people really this sleazy that 3-4 months security is needed? If so, we have gone way down the slippery slope. Remember the movie Pacific Heights?
You forgot to mention one was a former airport worker. I think I might be turning into a conspiracy theorist.lol
Can’t wait to see tomorrow’s news. Double LOLSeems like TB-man will be off the front page for a bit. We have a few new home grown terrorists planning to blow up the gas tanks at JFK international airport in New York. Can’t believe that’s two plots foiled by Homeland security in about a week, but TB-man was allowed to fly even though he was on the no-fly list. Hhhmmmm.
I just had to put one up here. I think all of you guys are really great. We all have different political views, yet we all have common ground when we can talk about Costa Rica. It is truly a special place for each of us. It embodies all the dreams and hopes of a better life. One to be realized or one to be recaptured. For us it is the recaptured life that draws us to that peaceful country and the wonderful Ticos. It always reminds me of how it was when I was growing up. We didn’t have a lot then but we were happier and everyone said hello and you knew you neighbors. Even the ones a block away. Now it’s hard to know the people who live next door.
Walking the streets of Alajuela or San Jose reminds my wife and myself of our childhood every time. We may not want to end up living in the city, but it brings back great memories.
The natural beauty is something you can even see while in the city by just looking toward the horizon and seeing the mountains. The beaches are just a short ride from almost anywhere.
The lack of distraction by technology (which is fast fading) keeps us focused on people and interacting with them. Even our kids, on their first visit, said they felt comfortable and at home there and everyone goes out of their way to make you feel welcome. The entire lifestyle is what appeals to us, and hopefully one day the dream can be fulfilled.
Someone once said, “You are drawn to Costa Rica” and for the most part that is what it is. Either you love it, or you don’t. Most people think we are crazy to love a third world country the way we do. I just say, it’s great to be crazy!Maravilla, You are correct in that the regulatory bodies are nowhere to be found. Also my wife and I just came back from shopping and the amount of foreign farm raised seafood is growing. We cannot depend on anyone to protect our life and health anymore. We must be responsible for ourselves.
If you’ve noticed in recent days, all the focus has been on TB-man, the guy who rode planes and has Tuberculosis. He has a form that is not readily communicable. The chances of someone contracting this and dying is supposedly small, but this is the only story topping the news. Not that I would have wished to have been on a plane with him. All the focus is on this guy and none on the Chinese products which have already killed hundreds.
I can just see the lawyers lining up for the lawsuits against TB-man. I guess there may be no money in trying to sue a foreign government.Yesterday, in Inside CR, they said Tilapia imported from China was tainted with a deadly neurotoxin found in puffer fish. And we continue to buy, without any mention of halting trade until we can be certain of the quality of what we are getting. Will we ever get it?
Today, in Inside Costa Rica, it was reported 3 tons of the toothpaste entered the country illegally and was confiscated. The now infamous chemical, Diethylene glycol, has been used in other products by other nations, including cough syrup and wine. What form of people would use a proven toxic substance in anything made for human consumption? It boggles the mind to think there are companies that are willing to put profit ahead of anything, while knowing sooner or later they will be caught. This is insanity at its most twisted. And where are the lawsuits against these companies or their governmental health agencies? This goes against all logic and reason.
Maravilla, I’m afraid, is right about large retailers dealing with these companies. When will we ever learn? Perhaps never. I guess growing your own food is the way to go. Just be sure of what you fertilize it with.It is truly amazing how there is no outcry from our elected officials here in the US about these foodstuffs and other tainted products coming in from China. When it happened in Panama, the only thing printed was in the international media. Pet food, and now toothpaste, are responsible for killing pets and people, but the media and politicians are treating it like it was a natural event, like an outbreak of the flu.
Most favored nation status review, or any sanctions against China are not even mentioned. It might be time to put health concerns ahead of dollars. But I don’t think that is going to happen.
Scott, just to comment on our laughable efforts to promote freedom and democracy all over the world, look at all the other efforts that have gone on to promote socialism and communism. Both, for the most part, have failed. Why that is, is because it is not natural, normal, and incongruous to have someone else’s opinion of what is “right” rammed down your throat at the point of a gun. The only time it was a good thing was when in W.W.II, the US and its allies were in Europe, as liberators, delivering an invaded people from the Nazis. Then, for the most part, leaving the individual countries alone to reestablish their respective governments. But there is something inherent in any system of government, that thinks they have the only right answer and makes them want to export it… I still can’t figure out what that is.Edited on May 30, 2007 06:19
