Never heard of Ria

I hadn't either until someone suggested it as a way to send money to anyone in Mexico. That could be people without a bank account but current ID.   We have 2 pickup points here in Melaque.

La Red De La Gente (Bansefi) (Caja Progressa)

Lopez Mateos No. 34

San Patricio JAL

Telecom (BTS) (San Patricio)

Morelos 53

San Patricio JAL

Looks like they are partnering with Walmart for smaller transfer amount while Walmart still using MoneyGram for amounts over $900.   Here's an article with comparisons of Western Union, Xoom and MoneyGram .... the major Money Transfer companies.

WalMart launching money transfer service

Ria Financial Services

Homeopatia en Melaque

Many people don't know about Homeopathic Pharmacy and doctor in Melaque. The office is on Reforma almost across from Dr. Rosa's office a few blocks from the beach. I can't vouch for her abilities but do know a few people using her. There is at least one more place on Taco Row that sells herbs and concoctions but I don't know if there is a "curandero" or doctor there.

Tropical Storm Amanda

Tropical Storm Amanda - first of the season

Tropical Storm Amanda has formed over the eastern Pacific Ocean, though the storm poses no threat to land and remains far offshore.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami says Amanda had maximum sustained winds of 40 mph (64 kph) late Friday morning. It was centered about 620 miles (998 kilometers) south-southwest of Manzanillo, Mexico, and was moving west-northwest at 5 mph (8 kph).

Forecasters say additional strengthening is expected in the next couple of days.

The Weather Underground says we have a week of rain and thunder coming up but it was supposed to start yesterday. Now it's moved back to Sunday and I expect it to be moved again.   All other sites say we my have rain later today.  It won't come from Tropical Storm Amanda so from where.

Well maybe it could/will but they were predicting this rainy spell for over a week before any weather systems had formed.  The highlands think they may getting their rains from the east as they often do .... but i don't have a clue

TomZap message board strikes again

Only on TomZap could a request for work for one of my neighbors dissolve into antisemitic comments which produced deleted posts and a battle of sorts with the moderator who is not really a moderator but the wife of the board owner who works full time and has no time to read the board.

The response I got from "Fast Eddie" (much slower than most) was how much to clean 2 lots.

My answer was we would have to see the lots for an estimate

"Fast Eddie's" answer ...... non existent.   So I sent him a PM so we could talk off the board.   Again no answer.  I finally told him to forget it and I won't subject a friend to his crazy ups and downs.   Also thanking him for selling us the new washing machine for 800 pesos.  Not a full cycle BTW.

That's when wizard "Fast Eddie" came back about me trying to JEW him down on the washer price. Hey Eddie .... this is the 21st Century and you can't say things like that without consequences. Of course someone jumped in with Christian me down and another come back I don't remember .... but that started the complaints coming in and posts being deleted and no reasons given.   All of a sudden the whole subject made no sense with all the holes in it.   I went back and changed my posts to nonsense one-liners since they served no purpose.

What it comes down to to me is there basically is no Moderator ::   From Nancy yesterday

And as to being in a hurry, yes. I am at work I work full time. I do not get to sit around all day and read the forum.  I rely on reports to point out problems. I got a LOT of reports yesterday.

She is just knee jerk reacting to reader complaints and deleting posts but not wanting to get involved or make a responsible comment on misbehavior.  It's really too bad.

A few months ago someone wanted info on something in Vallarta and the Blue Chair resort was offering what they wanted and I mentioned it as a GAY friendly resort.   Someone complained and our moderator called me Homophobic ..... now she says she didn't, only the posts were homophobic ???   You judge?

I'm getting complaints about your (homophobic?) posts. I'm deleting them. No more please.

I don't envy her job with a full-time real job and only modest interest in Mexico .... but it sure makes TomZap one of the screwiest boards I've ever run into

For some reason Nancy, the moderator, thinks this message board is only for visitor information. But it is definitely a community message board for those of us that live here. There is no other.

And lastly .... the peanut-gallery that just can't butt out with their snide remarks. These people just like to be  seen as clever with an answer for everything and doesn't matter if they have any inner knowledge of what is really going on.  I have so many on IGNORE for smart remarks I'm not sure there are many left.   Don't care and don't want to know most.

Back to daily living

Isolated T-Storms

Isolated T-Storms

30 % chance or rain

Almost everyone but the Weather Underground is giving us some chance of rain today and tomorrow. There is a weather system down by Acapulco that may give us rain but that is a few days away. I'm assuming we are only getting city water at night because the water table is getting low but no rain for 3-4 months is normal around here. We saw some lightning yesterday back along the mountains.

Wider and higher bridge

I thought that the little loop detour they made around the bridge was for public use during construction .... but evidently it's for construction equipment only. The west entrance to Melaque is closed completely and will be for a few months.   It will reduce the angle of the curve of the canal and generally make much more clearance.

Familia de Payasos y Pintacaritas

Familia de Payasos y Pintacaritas

My neighbors are a family of clowns who entertain for kids parties. They paint faces, make figures out of balloons (globos) and have a small sound system to orchestrate games and other activities.  The card is his licence to perform as a partially disabled person.

La Familia de Payasos 

Head clown with poodle

Arturo Aguilar Mendez

315-110-5317