losthighway wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 8:13 am I'd love Bill to get some kind of "They're all going down with me" aging gunslinger attitude, but I predict more of a Lewinsky 2.0 "I did not have sexual relations..." kind of thing.

losthighway wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 8:13 am I like the idea that possibly by 2030 the Trumps will be as irrelevant ...

cakes wrote: Mon Feb 23, 2026 10:42 am Anyone seen what's happening in Mexico? It's not being reported on as much as I would have thought. But the Mexican government killed a cartel king pin and the cartel retaliated by taken over parts of Mexico, one area being Puerto Vallarta. I probably wouldn't have heard about it, if it weren't for the fact that my elderly parents are stuck there, held up in a timeshare. I remember my dad telling me about 5 or so years ago that one reason they love going down there (which they've been doing for 20 years) was that it's completely safe because the cartels make sure it's safe. Who knows what is going to unfold there. I'm just making sure to keep in contact with them. I wonder if things will start getting more dangerous in Mexico if the cartels are feeling the pressure of the government. There's a lot of saying it's gonna blow over, but I just feel like that is denial. I don't really know enough to have an informed opinion, I'm just going with my gut. I would think that one of the most powerful cartels in the country, who have a paramilitary force at their disposal, is going to be looking for leverage in order to hold onto their power. That could mean anything from shutting down economies, which is the looks of it from Puerto Vallarta. I would also assume using foreigners as hostages or bargaining chips is probably a worthwhile endeavor. As far as I know, as of this morning all flights are canceled through the airport.

What is really fucked up is last night I could only find information on this through Al Jazeera and CBC. Barely anything from US News, which I would expect would love to exploit this story.

tallchris wrote:

cakes wrote: Mon Feb 23, 2026 10:42 am Anyone seen what's happening in Mexico? It's not being reported on as much as I would have thought. But the Mexican government killed a cartel king pin and the cartel retaliated by taken over parts of Mexico, one area being Puerto Vallarta. I probably wouldn't have heard about it, if it weren't for the fact that my elderly parents are stuck there, held up in a timeshare. I remember my dad telling me about 5 or so years ago that one reason they love going down there (which they've been doing for 20 years) was that it's completely safe because the cartels make sure it's safe. Who knows what is going to unfold there. I'm just making sure to keep in contact with them. I wonder if things will start getting more dangerous in Mexico if the cartels are feeling the pressure of the government. There's a lot of saying it's gonna blow over, but I just feel like that is denial. I don't really know enough to have an informed opinion, I'm just going with my gut. I would think that one of the most powerful cartels in the country, who have a paramilitary force at their disposal, is going to be looking for leverage in order to hold onto their power. That could mean anything from shutting down economies, which is the looks of it from Puerto Vallarta. I would also assume using foreigners as hostages or bargaining chips is probably a worthwhile endeavor. As far as I know, as of this morning all flights are canceled through the airport.

What is really fucked up is last night I could only find information on this through Al Jazeera and CBC. Barely anything from US News, which I would expect would love to exploit this story.

Glad your parents are alright! I know three other families who got stuck there for 3-4 extra days after the airports shutdown. Our friend Katie (there with her 4 year old, 6 year old, and mother) said there was only one grocery store open in the city, and it took her mom half the day to get there, get some groceries, and get back to their hotel.

They got back on Wednesday, and seems like the other families I know have gotten back in the last day or so.

jfv wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 8:17 am

losthighway wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 8:13 am I'd love Bill to get some kind of "They're all going down with me" aging gunslinger attitude, but I predict more of a Lewinsky 2.0 "I did not have sexual relations..." kind of thing.

Yep.. the idea he could do the former is what is super intriguing.

But you're probably right.

Expectations vs. reality <sad face>

cakes wrote: Fri Feb 27, 2026 11:13 am

tallchris wrote:

cakes wrote: Mon Feb 23, 2026 10:42 amAnyone seen what's happening in Mexico? It's not being reported on as much as I would have thought. But the Mexican government killed a cartel king pin and the cartel retaliated by taken over parts of Mexico, one area being Puerto Vallarta. I probably wouldn't have heard about it, if it weren't for the fact that my elderly parents are stuck there, held up in a timeshare. I remember my dad telling me about 5 or so years ago that one reason they love going down there (which they've been doing for 20 years) was that it's completely safe because the cartels make sure it's safe. Who knows what is going to unfold there. I'm just making sure to keep in contact with them. I wonder if things will start getting more dangerous in Mexico if the cartels are feeling the pressure of the government. There's a lot of saying it's gonna blow over, but I just feel like that is denial. I don't really know enough to have an informed opinion, I'm just going with my gut. I would think that one of the most powerful cartels in the country, who have a paramilitary force at their disposal, is going to be looking for leverage in order to hold onto their power. That could mean anything from shutting down economies, which is the looks of it from Puerto Vallarta. I would also assume using foreigners as hostages or bargaining chips is probably a worthwhile endeavor. As far as I know, as of this morning all flights are canceled through the airport.

What is really fucked up is last night I could only find information on this through Al Jazeera and CBC. Barely anything from US News, which I would expect would love to exploit this story.

Glad your parents are alright! I know three other families who got stuck there for 3-4 extra days after the airports shutdown. Our friend Katie (there with her 4 year old, 6 year old, and mother) said there was only one grocery store open in the city, and it took her mom half the day to get there, get some groceries, and get back to their hotel.

They got back on Wednesday, and seems like the other families I know have gotten back in the last day or so.

Everything went back to normal quickly. Either the government made a deal with the cartels, or it was all just a show and the cartels are weak. I dunno, that's just my naive take. I'm gonna go with the former.

wsj wrote:Joyce Kinnear, 60, and her husband, Scott Kinnear, 63—who both retired in their 50s—moved to the Puerto Vallarta area in 2023, attracted by a culture that reminds her of San Francisco. They had previously spent six years in rural Panama.

She said she was at a tourist market near her home in the small town of Bucerías, up the coast from Puerto Vallarta, on Sunday when she saw smoke billowing in the distance. On her way home, she drove past burning cars. The authorities closed the highways and some neighbors couldn’t get home, the former Californian said. Highways and stores in her town have since reopened.

Kinnear said recent events aren’t causing her and her husband to reconsider where they live. The U.S. has its own problems with violence, she said, citing mass shootings.

Ken Schmier, 75, said he and his wife recently purchased a $2,500,000 condo on the beach in Puerto Vallarta. “I can see the thing depreciating in half in the last day,” said Schmier, before adding that he was joking. The real-estate developer, who also lives in Larkspur, Calif., said he believes the area is safe thanks in part to its thriving tourist economy.

Kinnear said she and her husband did a lot of research before settling in Bucerías, which is far from areas where drug-related violence typically occurs. She said they try to take precautions such as driving during daylight and checking online to see if there are problems where they are headed.