Expat Files – 02.14.16

– Today we have a “Gringo’s eye view” up front and personal: a boots on the ground walk through not one but two dirty, filthy, amazingly chaotic, Latin government immigration offices: one in a huge city of 2 million plus people and one in a very small town of about 10,000 population.

Note: There are huge differences (you’ll see).

You’ll see just how average Latin people manage to maneuver their way through the amazingly inefficient and mind-numbing maze of a bureaucracy without the aid of lawyers or outside support. That’s why even simple procedures can take days and repeated return trips.

You’ll see how it seems an almost impossible task for even a Spanish speaking native to get anything accomplished yet they somehow eventually slog on through and get it done. Why? Simply because 95% of Latins have much, much, much more time than money.

As for me, every time I see a long stagnant line outside of a government building it makes me think of that room full of monkeys on typewriters, who- given an infinite amount of time- can eventually type out the bible.

Joachim Hagopian – Six Reasons Why the Iowa Caucus Turned into a Voter Fraud Circus in Favor of Hillary

No sooner out the gate with the closest caucus vote in Iowa history already on the books, the very first state tally of delegate votes leading to the 2016 presidential election bears strong indication of voter fraud. It’s been reported that Hillary Clinton instructed her staff in Iowa to rig the caucus voting by falsely standing in the O’Malley corner …

Expat Files – 02.07.16

– What climate changes are we now seeing in Latin America if any. What about those much-favored “perennial spring-like” Alti-Plano regions?

-What will happen to the food and water supplies in Latin America if climate changes (in whatever form) become more apparent?

-What will happen to Latin big city bad boy gangs as economies slip into the crapper and implode (along with the rest of the world)? Will they move to target the nearby smaller, safer, nicer, cites and neighborhoods?

-Comments on the Latin macho society’s supreme infatuation with “Mujeres de Clima”- sexy TV weather ladies who famously appear on every TV news program.
Note: there are no TV weathermen in Latin America.

Why a walk in the woods really does help your body and your soul

Have you ever wondered why you feel healthier and happier when you stroll through the trees or frolic by the sea? Is it just that you’re spending time away from work, de-stressing and taking in the view? Or is there more to it? For more than 20 years, scientists have been trying to determine the mechanisms by which exposure to …

Lee Fang – Hillary Clinton Laughs When Asked if She Will Release Transcripts of Her Goldman Sachs Speeches

After Hillary Clinton spoke at a town hall in Manchester, New Hampshire, on Friday, I asked her if she would release the transcripts of her paid speeches to Goldman Sachs. She laughed and turned away. Clinton has recently been on the defensive about the speaking fees she and her husband have collected. Those fees total over $125 million since 2001. …

Ultra-Rich ‘Philanthrocapitalist’ Class Undermining Global Democracy: Report

From Warren Buffett to Bill Gates, it is no secret that the ultra-rich philanthropist class has an over-sized influence in shaping global politics and policies. And a study (pdf) just out from the Global Policy Forum, an international watchdog group, makes the case that powerful philanthropic foundations—under the control of wealthy individuals—are actively undermining governments and inappropriately setting the agenda …

Eric Zuesse – America’s Subservience to Saud Family

The Saud royal family are by far the world’s largest buyers of US weapons. The King of Saudi Arabia is by far the world’s richest person, with a net worth well over a trillion dollars; and, when his (Aramco’s) 260 billion barrels of oil reserves were valued at $100 per barrel, his net worth was over $15 trillion. The King …

Economic Update – Economics and Real Issues – 01.03.16

Updates on economics vs “free press,” Nevada vs public education, and bikes displace autos in Europe. Responses to listeners on economics of closed ACA health coops and on inflation’s dangers and impacts. Major discussion of Massachusetts Senate Bill to tax rich universities and beginning to answer “What is Capitalism?”

Nancy Hanover – Mark Zuckerberg, philanthrocapitalism and parasitism

Last Tuesday Mark Zuckerberg, co-founder of Facebook and the 16th richest man in America, and his wife Priscilla Chan announced they would be donating 99 percent of their Facebook shares, currently valued at $45 billion, to charity during their lifetime. The gift was announced in the form of a letter to their newborn child announcing the formation of the Chan …

Ted Rall – Do Not Be Impressed by Mark Zuckerberg’s Phony Generosity

CEO Mark Zuckerberg promises to give 99% of his Facebook shares to charity — eventually. Exact phrasing: the stock, currently worth $45 billion, will be donated “during [he and his wife’s] lives.” He’s 31 and she’s 30, so actuarial tables being what they are, by approximately the year 2065. If Facebook or the Internet or the earth still exist. Whoop de doo. …