Birds may have small brains, but they have it all over people when it comes to colors. While engaging in one of those mindless and expensive habits that keeps the U.S. economy going—wandering around a Lowe's home improvement center looking for nothing in particular—I ran into a bright-blue metal bird feeder to replace the old …
Category: Uncategorized
Taking the road not usually taken
Los Rodríguez is one butt-ugly town, particularly if you don't like topes, or speed bumps, and more particularly if you've been driving for hours and this miserable place is all that stands between you and your warm bed at home.I have no idea how the town came to be. Apparently one day the Rodríguez clan …
Ross Perot's approach is what we need to break the muddle over health care reform
Won't someone please inject somefacts and figures into the health care debate? The more the debate trudges on in Washington over health care reform, also known as the campaign to repeal Obamacare, the less I understand even the basic contours of the ruckus. So confused am I that I woke up this morning thinking about Ross Perot, …
Continue reading Ross Perot's approach is what we need to break the muddle over health care reform
The debate over medical care in Mexico
There aren't many sure shots in life.Medical care in Mexico is not among them. The constant chatter among San Miguel expats about medical care reminds me of the fleet of old American cars cautiously sputtering, wheezing and farting along the streets of Havana.Invariably there is something wrong with one of them and opinions abound, expressed with much …
Why is Mexico Mexico and Iceland Iceland?
The differences are legion, but respect forthe rule of law may be the most telling Whenever Stew and I travel to a so-called First World country, returning to Mexico, our home for almost 12 years, is invariably a shock. The taxi ride from the Mexico City North bus station to the airport, or vice-versa, is an …
Amateur forestry thrives at the ranch
"The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.The second best time is now." (Sent to me by Anita, a friend in San Antonio)When we bought the ranch nine years ago, the first thing Stew and I did was put a fence around it. We'd been warned …
When the lights went out and peace came in
Our solar electric system went on the fritz andthat brought us some unexpected blessings Our house is "off the grid"—the only external input is a refill of propane gas every two or three months—and the system worked well until last Friday afternoon when our solar electricity rig crashed, taking down with it all appliances and electronic …
Why do you go to church anyway?
Is it cynical to attend churchmainly to meet other people?While in the U.S. church attendance continues to decline, during our eleven years in San Miguel we've noticed that English-speaking churches here seem to be growing almost as fast as restaurants and art galleries.No doubt previous religious affiliations point some expats to certain denominations, but I …
Forget emails. Just call.
"Now they tell me!" saidDonald J. Trump, Jr. During the past few days I've soured on that modern addiction to e-mails, a communication medium that frequently creates confusion and misunderstanding and can even get one of your mammaries in the wringer. Yesterday I called my friend Barbara to find out how she was doing after a …
Elon Musk's Tesla pulls into San Miguel
Electric vehicles are headed for San Miguel.That surprised the hell out of me.Sometime last week, with as little fanfare as organ cacti popping up in the countryside, six shiny Tesla electric car chargers appeared in the parking lot of the Luciérnaga shopping center in San Miguel, by the Office Depot store. We of course had …
El Rancho Santa Clara 