Disk Warrior does the job, or All & every thanks to Omer

I don't know if it comes across to you out there, but right here this feels different. Different because I am writing again from my own Apple Macbook laptop computer. After two-and-a-half weeks without this my best-non-animate-friend, we are reunited, thanks in no small part (in fact in every part) to Omer, who on hearing of our plight immediately sent us disk-repair manna. This is such an excellent development. The tequila is open, and it's only 4:30.

On another note entirely: there's something interesting about Mexico, that I think isn't limited to just this place, but which I've only ever witnessed here, is the ubiquitous presence of the army, in particular, and heavy firearms, in general. Walking around town, it is hard not to notice the private security forces in their bullet-proof vests, and carrying shotguns and smaller automatic weapons (folding-stock sub-machine guns are most common, but I've also seen machine pistols and something that looked like an Uzi). Police often appear similarly outfitted. Driving between cities, one is almost sure to encounter – if not be stopped and searched by – military personnel with really big full-automatic rifles, usually out and in-hand.

And it isn't just the presence of the military, and their weapons, that is notable. I think that really it comes down to a different idea of what that military and those weapons are for. Where we come from the army and such are an uncommon sight, and not unwelcome or unfriendly, as their function is to protect all of us (sure, but we're talking about the idea of the army, for now) from threats from elsewhere. But in Mexico the army's role is instead to protect some the citizens from other parts of the citizenry. It isn't probably coincidence that this division (protected vs. protected against) typically breaks down along lines of wealth and race. Maybe this really isn't so different from how things work at home, but here the guns are lots bigger.

The breakdancers we watched in the Mexico City zócalo, however, looked unbothered:
(You can see more pictures by clicking on the "Jessica's pictures" link on the right.)