Gator

Twice half the length. 😂 I was kicking around the idea of going the SRRV route. After doing the math I’ll continue getting tourist visas. Don’t want to tie up 10$ and not be sure if I’d ever see it again. The only way I’d get an SRRV would be if I did buy a condo, which is a strong possibility. But I haven’t decided where I’m going to settle down at yet, lol. As I’ve already bought my airline ticket (fully refundable and changeable at no extra cost) for the end of October I’m just hoping they lift the restrictions by then. Am thinking of emailing the Philippine’s embassy / consulate to inquire about getting the six month visa in advance and asking if that would qualify me as long stayer. Would also include a copy of my lease for the apartment I’m renting. Any thoughts or would I be wasting my time?

I think there was one in Ayala Mall, top floor where Pacific Core money changer and the travel agencies were at, but not sure if they reopened after the fire at the Metro store. Also think there’s one in SM mall in Angeles City, in the alcove next to the SM grocery store. Went into a few places there trying to get a color copy made of my OR/CR and think I remember seeing a place with PO type boxes in it for rent.

Can try mashing some canned / jarred beets (not the pickled type) to the wasabi to tone it down. Play the ratio to your taste. The beets add a nice mildly sweet flavor to it. I buy a ready mixed horseradish and beet sauce in USA at Publix. I prefer it to straight horseradish or the ones you find mixed with cream (which sometimes breaks if you add it to a homemade hot gravy).

And don’t forget about the extra fees you have to pay at the remote payment centers. For converge cable at a 7/11 an extra 7 pesos and for Angeles City electric an extra 10 pesos is tacked on. Doesn’t sound like much, but think of the thousands of ppl paying it. It adds up fast and is a gift horse for the owners of those payment centers. Paying online directly to the service provider would cut them out.

I’ve seen a guy in Angeles doing the same, but he was on a pedal type trike. Had a nice little set up. No idea how much he earns, but have to admire his entrepreneurial spirit.

Thanks for the info OMW. Although I haven’t really researched it, what I don’t see is the number of ppl tested. Nearly 42k cases in country with a population of about 112 million seems awfully low - considering the lockdowns didn’t start until late March when the virus was already in full swing. Something just doesn’t sit right with me - either there’s many more cases and they’re playing with the stats or, as I suspect, they’re just not testing that many ppl and only reporting those who show up at hospitals sick (if they show up at all as most can’t afford it). Possibly even a combination of both.

1. YES! And it appears he was rocking back and forth a little in an apparent effort to apply even more pressure....... 2. And 3. New news to me, but you would also think if there bad blood between them Chauvin would have chosen a different and smarter way to settle the score. And not in front of witnesses!

Agree, at least could have rolled him onto his back or set up against the wheel of the patrol car. And if he was combative they could have used leg restraints as well.....probably would have needed them anyhow before loading him onto a gurney when the bus arrived. We weren’t there and it was not our call to make, easy to armchair quarterback the incident. But....... Escape custody - yeah, a couple of times. Most were high or drunk and all but one were re-caught within minutes if not seconds. The one who got away was high on crack cocaine. The arrest went easy, traffic stop, seen the drugs and paraphernalia plus he had an FTA (Failure to Appear warrant). He was polite and cooperative as he knew he screwed up. I had him cuffed and sitting on the ground near my motor waiting for a transport unit....was a busy night, but the tow truck showed up first. I walked up to the tow truck to get the driver to sign the property receipt for the car and when I turned back the skinny little shit was gone! Guess while he was sitting there he decided he didn’t want to go back to jail - turned out he was a 3 striker and would gone away for a long time. The dumb ass got caught two days later when he showed up at the impound lot, cash in hand and tried to get his car back! Didn’t get my cuffs back though, lol. We didn’t get pepper spray until late 96 or maybe early 97; up until then it just fists , wits or my asp baton (Ok, once or twice my Mag-Lite too, lol). And the use of tasers back then was too controversial, so our Sheriff decided to wait until the courts sorted out their use and a training SOP could be set up. Pepper Spray on the other hand was a gift from above, unless a suspect was wasted on Meth it worked like a charm......usually took the fight right out of someone. And once word got out that we were using it, the mere threat of using it de-escalated the situation more often then not.

I don’t know who these guys are - “The Hodge Twins”. By coincidence a friend just sent me this video. No idea if its supposed to be satirical or serious, but even so I’m sure it’ll never be publicized by the left wing media and I’m also sure they will get quite a bit of negative feedback by BLM. It doesn’t touch directly on the Floyd debacle, but on the ensuing response, riots and BLM’s role it in. Worth watching as they bring up many valid points.

From early 92 until late 98 I was also a LEO in Florida. Along with another officer I was hired on grant money to work as a Traffic Homicide Investigator and for DUI enforcement. Still had to go thru training the same as any Deputy Sheriff.....4 months in an academy and then 14 weeks with FTO’s (Field Training Officers). Then to get certified by Florida for doing what I hired for, that was followed by: 3 months of Advanced Traffic Crash Investigation (general, CMV, pedestrian and MTCY crashes), Traffic Accident Reconstruction training (TARO Certified), DUI recognition/law/breathalyzer certification, and, as a bonus (lol), one week of Advanced Riding Skills for Police Motorcycle Officers Followed by Advanced Tactical and Survival Skills for Police Motorcycle Officers from IPTM (Institute of Police Technology and Management), University of North Florida, Jacksonville. So all in almost a year of training before being cut loose. In addition to my primary work I also answered call for service, but mostly as a back up and not as the primary officer (I wasn’t supposed to get tied up all night on a domestic dispute or some other type of call, though that did occasionally happen). After my first year I was asked to and subsequently trained as an FTO for the explicit purpose of training new recruits on basic traffic crash investigations and securing the scene at major crashes. Intrepid - remember the during DT (Defensive Tactics) training the “Use of Force Continuum”? For the non LEO’s reading this - its extensive training regarding not only the escalation of force an officer is allowed to use, BUT the de-escalation of force. What I don’t understand in the Floyd case is why the officer continued to keep him pinned to the ground when the threat was contained.....he was already handcuffed.....and, rookies or not, there were four officers there. Why didn’t they put him the back of a patrol car? Even if the city has separate transport units, it’s not uncommon (and usually safer) to contain a subject in a patrol car until the transport unit arrives. Ok, so there four officers there. If two were fresh recruits that implies that the other two were FTO’s (so also likely that 2 patrol units were there too). FTO’s are supposed to be experienced officers, well trained and held to even higher standard then their fellow officers......they are supposed to be mentors for junior officers and the “go to” officers when questions arise. Something with the whole event bothers me, in that at least 2 officers were (or should have been) highly trained and one of those highly trained officers essentially murdered someone. It leaves me with more questions then answers; Was any ulterior motive behind the killing?.....to try to keep President from getting reelected? To start a race war? Simply because they know the guy was a bad apple, they (or he the officer) was frustrated at the system’s failing to keep someone like him off the street and he decided to take the law into his own hands? I’m sure we will never the real reason why it happened or if there Was any other motive behind it. And let me explicitly state that I don’t condone what happened. It’s a very sad thing that that a**h*le just made the jobs of tens of thousands of officers that much more difficult. How man other officers will pull back and be afraid of doing their jobs out of fear of becoming a scapegoat, or the possibility of setting off a riot because because they used what could later be interpreted (falsely i would hope) as “excessive force”? Rant over - my apologies for the long post

I used to get some meds from a “Canada Drug” outlet / pharmacy in Florida for about a third of the cost in the USA. Various names, but I see those types of stores all over the US; especially in areas densely populated with seniors. Since meds are classified as essential products they are are still being shipped across the border. @ the OP - have you tried to ask any local pharmacies to special order it?

I think it’s a great idea, but I also think it would only work if the telecom companies got on board and provided free data for when you’re using the app (similar to how they offer it for WasteBook).

It’s not just the police, it’s also protesters attacking the media. Albeit most of them have been shown or thought to be extremists.....from both sides. And many of the riots, looting a and vandalism have been instigated by them as well. https://www.cjr.org/opinion/reporters-press-freedom-police-protests.php

I guess it depends on how you look at it. One would expect a surcharge to go away after a reasonable amount of time. If they simply raise raise prices then imho it’s unlikely they will decrease them once they've recouped their losses. Ppl will simply get used to paying higher prices, then where does it stop? ........inflation anyone?

Yes, I know several ppl who have. But the methods of payment have been erratic. I don’t get SS, but am in the IRS system as I pay quarterly estimated taxes, got a refund last year and paid extra this year, but still got a paper check in the mail (US address). My cousin, aged 62 is on SSDI, gets a monthly direct deposit so is also in the system, but she was also sent a paper check. Another cousin and his live in companion, aged 68 and 66 respectively, also get monthly direct deposits of their Social Security. He got his direct deposited and she got a paper check. Seems like there’s no rhyme or reason to how their sending out payments. IMHO I think its the person doing the data input, maybe in batches(?) and how they enter the data or what ever key they press to authorize payments. OTH, could be a conspiracy. Maybe the owners of the paper mills and ink manufacturers are paying kickbacks to high ranking gov officials. So no paper checks means no perks for them, lol.