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Some pretty destructive viruses and assorted unpleasantries have been worming their way into computers around the world lately, the ones in our office as vulnerable as any. So I’m being exceedingly cautious about opening email attachments the Pandora’s boxes of today unless I’m sure who they’re from and scan them first.
Well, either the troublemakers are getting trickier or I had better dust off my 30-year-old writing primer, “Elements of Style.” Last week I received email succinctly stating, “You’re a bad writer,” with an attachment titled “Reasons.”
My first instinct was that it was simply entrapment in the guise of a cheap shot. But just in case they knew something that I didn’t and should I replied, “I appreciate your feedback, but could you be more specific?”
When it was returned, saying, “Mail operation could not be performed,” I was relieved, but more concerned than ever about cyber cons. Who knows? Down the road you might find one in your mailbox saying, “Your mother dresses you funny.” And you may need every ounce of willpower to refrain from opening, “How to make her stop.”
If not for nature’s proof, I wouldn’t believe that high season is already starting to wind down. The rhythm with which whales breed here pretty much runs like clockwork they arrive late October and leave late March, like most of the snowbirds. So, this year, when a friend told me he had watched about 40 of them leaving the bay March 7, I was surprised because it seemed a bit early. Then, the very next day, March 8, the weather changed dramatically and got warmer. It seems the big guys know things we don’t.
Like most weeks, last week was party time in Vallarta. Mary Sue Morris of Viva held one of her shindigs that always see hundreds of people coming and going all evening, mixing, mingling and spilling out onto the sidewalk in front of her fabulous Basilio Badillo location.
And the 330 who attended the annual Becas Ball scholarship fundraiser found it livelier than ever, perhaps because of the new band and also because many of the scholarship students were at the event helping out, two out of five raffle tickets won by people the students had sold to. Over 300 businesses and individuals donated items for auction, sculptor Ramiz Barquet’s contribution alone raising $30,000 pesos.
Gil Gevins, author of “Puerto Vallarta on 49 Brain Cells a Day” and “Refried Brains,” was the keynote speaker at the Puerto Vallarta Writer’s Group recently. And despite obviously feeling under the weather, his wacky, sardonic humor was over the top, as usual. A writer for Second City in one of my previous incarnations, I used to think I was kind of funny. But because Gil is not only really bright, but also really opinionated, his material is braver and more shocking than mine ever was. So, if he ever opts to do standup comedy, which he has hinted at, you’ll find me front and center laughing about things that some prefer to get indignant about.
A couple of new safety measures in town are worth noting, including the police radar guns, which are actually resulting in tickets to buses as well as other vehicles, and the new lifeguard station on Los Muertos Beach. Manned by just three volunteer lifeguards at present, others are being trained to help save lives on this very popular beach.
And you didn’t think I would wrap without saying a little something about the animals, did you? The news that The Friends of the Animals will be working very closely with the heads of Puerto Vallarta’s 199 neighborhood associations on behalf of the animals is very encouraging indeed, because it is truly only this kind of grassroots effort that has long-term results.
If you have any comments, questions or suggestions about what you’re reading, you’re encouraged to let me know at heather@mexmags.com.
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