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A one-day action packed conference. Great for anyone serious about moving down here, investing, relocating, retiring, etc.

http://www.elportonverde.com/2013/04/03/the-nicaragua-lifestyle-conferen...

The Nicaragua Lifestyle Conference is a jammed packed information day for retirees, entrepreneurs, investors, – expats and future expats, all of those, in fact, considering Nicaragua as a relocation destination.

The Nicaragua Lifestyle Conference taking place May 15, 2013 in Managua is designed with these people in mind.

Early morning numbers on Monday 1st April (April Fool’s Day) were no laughing matter with La Prensa reporting 41 deaths in Nicaragua over Easter Week.

By the afternoon, and after the customary official press conference, ten more deaths had been added to the total. Crime was down 11% with 2,465 incidents reported versus 2,775 last Easter.

Totals (2012 figures are in brackets)

20 died by drowning. (30)

21 Violent Deaths were reported. (22)

10 Deaths were reported on the roads (12) and another 93 (105) were injured.

Last night, I got what I think was the basic FSLN political officer's lecture from someone who was an FSLN political officer at 15 while pregnant. And further stories with her husband trying to find the English to translate what she'd just said. Her jefe saved her life by ordering her off a helicopter that the Contra brought down with a surface to air missile. And I found out that Paquita, that wry and ironic old woman, had been the lover of a FSLN fighter before the Revolution and Roberto, whose English is a bit better perhaps than my Spanish, was their son and her only child.

A Nicaraguan and a Scotsman, bound by love affairs, decided to venture into the commercial side. The scenario: Estelí. The result: La Casita.

http://www.elnuevodiario.com.ni/economia/281670-casita-finca-turistica

It also made me wish to visit one day.

Fears of a US$ 100 fine per month of expired work visa kept many Nicaraguans from their families this Easter. Many border businesses (buses, taxis and restaurants) reported that business was slow and immigration confirmed that the numbers (only 15,000 this year) are about half of what they were last year. As well as the fine, workers whose cedula has expired for more than 3 months could face a cancellation of their status. Apparently, many workers are using the money they would have spent on vacation to legalize their status.

Does anyone know if rooting hormones -- for starting plants from cuttings -- are available in Nicaragua and if so, where? Brand name, etc? I'm trying to get some guadua bamboo cuttings started from estacas--actually, my workers are, I'm in the US for a while. The plants we are taking the cuttings from are less than 2 years old and the first attempt (without hormones) had only about a 20% success rate. Ometepe Island -- anything available in Rivas would be great. Thanks for any help!

I will spare you the facts as they are just not that interesting and involve flying zinc and such but, in any case, I am without a dedicated Internet connection again. The reality is that I have managed to concentrate on some specific stuff rather than the continue stream of "interesting stuff" (also known as distractions) that I normally see. More when I know more but, for now, I will just "visit" here when I get a chance.

For those with what is called ADD, I am thinking there no such thing. You just need to move to the middle of nowhere and not have an Internet connection.

Walmart continues to make big investments in Nicaragua and this year they plan on another US $30 million of new locations.

Walmart currently has a presence in Central America through four formats: Palí, La Unión, Maxi Palí, and Super Center (the latter has not yet come to Nicaragua).

They expect that the number of local SME's (small and medium sized enterprises) that supply them with products will increase from 41 to 80 and will come mainly from the agriculture and prepared food sectors.

No pattern, just a few good examples of ways you can lose it.

An Italian Inheritance vapourizes and the inheritor gets deported. http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2013/03/12/ambito/137871-expulsan-a-italiano

Squatters get evicted from (what was city owned) land sold by a mayor to a private corporation. http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2013/03/12/departamentales/137905

768 Manzanas of border land confiscated using new border law. http://www.laprensa.com.ni/2013/03/07/departamentales/137222

I had one of those problems that becomes more than just one of those problems because my Spanish is still not quite where I need it to be. A clerk punched in an extra nine in a bank card purchase and we had to go through the whole rigamarole of issuing a reversal for it. My automatic alert email was waiting when I got home, and I talked to the bank about what happened and was told that they'd have to hold the money for three to five business days if the company sent a cancellation or a refund. If the bank didn't get that, it would help me contest the charges.

I just created a mailing list for "Venezuela news" as there will be a lot of it, particularly with the presidential election coming up on 14 April. The purpose of the list is not discussion but to post links to press articles and information. Having a convenient place with all sorts of links means we are all more likely to see the issues from different sides.

The National Electricity Transmission Company, ENATREL, reported that on Sunday March 10th line L8150 which connects the substations Sebaco with San Ramon will be off.

Municipalities affected: El Tuma, La Dalia, Waslala, Rancho Grande, Matiguás, Río Blanco, Muy Muy, Bocana de Paiwas, San Ramón, Terrabona, Esquipulas y San Dionisio; barrios y comarcas del Departamento de Matagalpa, igualmente, serán afectados barrios y comunidades de los municipios de Mulukukú y Siuna de la Región Autónoma del Atlántico Norte (RAAN).

I am deeply saddened to hear of the death of Stompin' Tom Conners. I feel a loss to one of the few things that binds me my former homeland.

If you you want to know what music means to the people who listen to it, go listen to his songs.

If you have watched Thrive or listened to the words of Foster Gamble, you have probably heard "follow the money" quite a few times. Whether the issue is greed or just how Capitalism is supposed to work, he is right. Seldom do you see something done in this world just because it is right. You see people (and, remember, corporations are people in the US) doing things because they benefit.

The bid for a soc.motss con lost to Ann Arbor, Michigan, though there was some interest and some votes for Matagalpa. Oh, well. One thing that came up was that the travel would be as long as 16 hours for some parts of the US, though the costs were quite close for someone who lived in Seattle. Obviously, it's closer for people living in Texas and Florida and we may have a mini-con here, but having thought much further about that.